S00093 Summary:

BILL NOS00093
 
SAME ASNo Same As
 
SPONSORTEDISCO
 
COSPNSR
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Amd §§260.31, 260.32, 260.34 & 70.02, add Part 4 Title Y-3 Art 497 §§497.00 & 497.05, Pen L; amd §200.50, CP L
 
Relates to vulnerable elderly or disabled persons; deletes references to caregiver to make any person who endangers the welfare of an elderly or disabled person guilty of provisions of the penal law.
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S00093 Actions:

BILL NOS00093
 
01/04/2023REFERRED TO CODES
01/03/2024REFERRED TO CODES
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S00093 Committee Votes:

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S00093 Floor Votes:

There are no votes for this bill in this legislative session.
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S00093 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                           93
 
                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                       (Prefiled)
 
                                     January 4, 2023
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  Sen. TEDISCO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
 
        AN ACT to amend the  penal  law  and  the  criminal  procedure  law,  in
          relation to crimes against vulnerable elderly or disabled persons

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. Section 260.31 of the penal law, as added by chapter 381 of
     2  the laws of 1998, subdivision 1 as amended, subdivision 4 as  added  and
     3  such section as renumbered by chapter 14 of the laws of 2010, and subdi-
     4  vision  2  as  amended by chapter 193 of the laws of 2010, is amended to
     5  read as follows:
     6  § 260.31 Vulnerable elderly persons; definitions.
     7    For the purpose of sections 260.32 and 260.34  of  this  article,  the
     8  following definitions shall apply:
     9    1.  ["Caregiver" means a person who (i) assumes responsibility for the
    10  care of a vulnerable elderly person, or  an  incompetent  or  physically
    11  disabled  person pursuant to a court order; or (ii) receives monetary or
    12  other valuable consideration for providing care for a vulnerable elderly
    13  person, or an incompetent or physically disabled person.
    14    2.] "Sexual contact" means any touching of the sexual or  other  inti-
    15  mate  parts  of  a person for the purpose of gratifying sexual desire of
    16  either party. It includes the touching of the actor by  the  victim,  as
    17  well  as  the  touching  of the victim by the actor, whether directly or
    18  through clothing, as well as the emission of ejaculate by the actor upon
    19  any part of the victim, clothed or unclothed.
    20    [3.] 2. "Vulnerable elderly person" means a person sixty years of  age
    21  or  older  who  is suffering from a disease or infirmity associated with
    22  advanced  age  and  manifested  by  demonstrable  physical,  mental   or
    23  emotional  dysfunction  to  the  extent  that the person is incapable of

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD00244-01-3

        S. 93                               2
 
     1  adequately providing for his or her own health or  personal  care  or  a
     2  person seventy years of age or older.
     3    [4.]  3. "Incompetent or physically disabled person" means an individ-
     4  ual who is unable to care for himself or  herself  because  of  physical
     5  disability, mental disease or defect.
     6    §  2. The opening paragraph and subdivision 4 of section 260.32 of the
     7  penal law, as amended by chapter 14 of the laws of 2010, are amended  to
     8  read as follows:
     9    A  person is guilty of endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly
    10  person, or an incompetent or physically disabled person  in  the  second
    11  degree  when[,  being a caregiver for a vulnerable elderly person, or an
    12  incompetent or physically disabled person]:
    13    4. He or she subjects  such  person  to  sexual  contact  without  the
    14  latter's  consent.  Lack  of consent under this subdivision results from
    15  forcible compulsion or incapacity to consent, as those terms are defined
    16  in article one hundred thirty of  this  [chapter]  part,  or  any  other
    17  circumstances  in which the vulnerable elderly person, or an incompetent
    18  or physically disabled person does not expressly or impliedly  acquiesce
    19  [in  the caregiver's conduct]. In any prosecution under this subdivision
    20  in which the victim's alleged lack of consent results solely from  inca-
    21  pacity  to  consent  because of the victim's mental disability or mental
    22  incapacity, the provisions of section  130.16  of  this  [chapter]  part
    23  shall  apply.  In addition, in any prosecution under this subdivision in
    24  which the victim's lack of consent is based solely upon his or her inca-
    25  pacity to consent because he or  she  was  mentally  disabled,  mentally
    26  incapacitated  or physically helpless, it is an affirmative defense that
    27  the defendant, at the time he or she engaged in the conduct constituting
    28  the offense, did not know of the facts  or  conditions  responsible  for
    29  such incapacity to consent.
    30    §  3.  The  opening  paragraph  of section 260.34 of the penal law, as
    31  amended by chapter 14 of the  laws  of  2010,  is  amended  to  read  as
    32  follows:
    33    A  person is guilty of endangering the welfare of a vulnerable elderly
    34  person, or an incompetent or physically disabled  person  in  the  first
    35  degree  when[,  being a caregiver for a vulnerable elderly person, or an
    36  incompetent or physically disabled person]:
    37    § 4. Paragraphs (c) and (d) of subdivision 1 of section 70.02  of  the
    38  penal  law,  paragraph (c) as amended by chapter 134 of the laws of 2019
    39  and paragraph (d) as amended by chapter 7  of  the  laws  of  2007,  are
    40  amended to read as follows:
    41    (c)  Class  D violent felony offenses: an attempt to commit any of the
    42  class C felonies set forth in paragraph (b); reckless assault of a child
    43  as defined in section 120.02, assault in the second degree as defined in
    44  section 120.05, menacing a police officer or peace officer as defined in
    45  section 120.18, stalking in the first degree, as defined in  subdivision
    46  one  of section 120.60, strangulation in the second degree as defined in
    47  section 121.12, rape in the second degree as defined in section  130.30,
    48  criminal  sexual  act in the second degree as defined in section 130.45,
    49  sexual abuse in the first degree as defined in section 130.65, course of
    50  sexual conduct against a child  in  the  second  degree  as  defined  in
    51  section  130.80,  aggravated sexual abuse in the third degree as defined
    52  in  section  130.66,  facilitating  a  sex  offense  with  a  controlled
    53  substance  as defined in section 130.90, labor trafficking as defined in
    54  paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision three of section 135.35,  criminal
    55  possession  of  a  weapon  in the third degree as defined in subdivision
    56  five, six, seven, eight, nine or ten of section 265.02, criminal sale of

        S. 93                               3

     1  a firearm in the third degree as defined in section 265.11, intimidating
     2  a victim or witness in the second degree as defined in  section  215.16,
     3  endangering  the  welfare of a vulnerable elderly person, or an incompe-
     4  tent  or  physically  disabled  person in the first degree as defined in
     5  section 260.34, soliciting or providing support for an act of  terrorism
     6  in  the second degree as defined in section 490.10, and making a terror-
     7  istic threat as defined in section 490.20, falsely reporting an incident
     8  in the first degree as defined in section 240.60, placing a  false  bomb
     9  or hazardous substance in the first degree as defined in section 240.62,
    10  placing  a  false  bomb  or  hazardous  substance in a sports stadium or
    11  arena, mass transportation facility or enclosed shopping mall as defined
    12  in section 240.63, aggravated unpermitted use of indoor pyrotechnics  in
    13  the first degree as defined in section 405.18, and criminal manufacture,
    14  sale,  or  transport  of  an  undetectable  firearm, rifle or shotgun as
    15  defined in section 265.50.
    16    (d) Class E violent felony offenses:   endangering the  welfare  of  a
    17  vulnerable  elderly  person,  or  an  incompetent or physically disabled
    18  person in the second degree as defined in section 260.32, an attempt  to
    19  commit  any  of  the  felonies of criminal possession of a weapon in the
    20  third degree as defined in subdivision five,  six,  seven  or  eight  of
    21  section  265.02  as a lesser included offense of that section as defined
    22  in section 220.20 of the criminal procedure law, persistent sexual abuse
    23  as defined in section 130.53, aggravated  sexual  abuse  in  the  fourth
    24  degree  as defined in section 130.65-a, falsely reporting an incident in
    25  the second degree as defined in section 240.55 and placing a false  bomb
    26  or  hazardous  substance  in  the  second  degree  as defined in section
    27  240.61.
    28    § 5. Part 4 of the penal law is amended by adding a new title  Y-3  to
    29  read as follows:
    30                                  TITLE Y-3
    31                             CRIMES AGAINST THE
    32                             ELDERLY OR DISABLED
    33                                 ARTICLE 497
    34                             CRIMES AGAINST THE
    35                             ELDERLY OR DISABLED
    36  Section 497.00 Crimes against the elderly or disabled.
    37          497.05 Sentencing.
    38  § 497.00 Crimes against the elderly or disabled.
    39    1. A person commits a crime against the elderly or disabled when he or
    40  she commits a specified offense and either:
    41    (a)  intentionally  selects  the  person  against  whom the offense is
    42  committed or intended to be committed in whole or  in  substantial  part
    43  because of a belief or perception regarding the disability status or age
    44  related  infirmity  or  disease  of  a person, regardless of whether the
    45  belief or perception is correct; or
    46    (b) intentionally commits the act or acts constituting the offense  in
    47  whole or in substantial part because of a belief or perception regarding
    48  disability  status  or  age  related  infirmity  or disease of a person,
    49  regardless of whether the belief or perception is correct.
    50    2. For the purpose of this  section:  (a)  when  a  person  reasonably
    51  appears  to  have  a  disability or an age related infirmity or disease,
    52  there shall be a  rebuttable  presumption  the  defendant  selected  the
    53  person  against  whom  the offense or act is committed or intended to be
    54  committed, in whole or in part because of a belief or perception regard-
    55  ing the disability status or age related infirmity or  disease  of  such
    56  person;  and (b) when a person is seventy years old or more, there shall

        S. 93                               4
 
     1  be a rebuttable presumption that such person appears to have a disabili-
     2  ty or an age related infirmity.
     3    3. A "specified offense" is an offense defined by any of the following
     4  provisions  of  this  chapter:  section  120.00  (assault  in  the third
     5  degree); section 120.05 (assault in the second degree);  section  120.10
     6  (assault in the first degree); section 120.12 (aggravated assault upon a
     7  person  less  than  eleven  years  old); section 120.13 (menacing in the
     8  first degree); section 120.14 (menacing in the second  degree);  section
     9  120.15  (menacing  in the third degree); section 120.20 (reckless endan-
    10  germent in the second degree); section 120.25 (reckless endangerment  in
    11  the  first  degree);  section  120.45  (stalking  in the fourth degree);
    12  section 120.50 (stalking in the third degree); section 120.55  (stalking
    13  in  the  second  degree); section 120.60 (stalking in the first degree);
    14  subdivision one of section 125.15 (manslaughter in the  second  degree);
    15  subdivision  one,  two  or  four  of section 125.20 (manslaughter in the
    16  first degree); section 125.25 (murder in the second degree); subdivision
    17  one of section 130.35 (rape in the first  degree);  subdivision  one  of
    18  section  130.50  (criminal  sexual act in the first degree); subdivision
    19  one of section 130.65 (sexual abuse in the first degree); paragraph  (a)
    20  of  subdivision  one  of  section 130.67 (aggravated sexual abuse in the
    21  second degree); paragraph (a)  of  subdivision  one  of  section  130.70
    22  (aggravated  sexual abuse in the first degree); section 135.05 (unlawful
    23  imprisonment in the second degree); section 135.10  (unlawful  imprison-
    24  ment  in  the  first  degree);  section 135.20 (kidnapping in the second
    25  degree); section 135.25 (kidnapping in the first degree); section 135.60
    26  (coercion in the second degree); section 135.65 (coercion in  the  first
    27  degree); section 140.10 (criminal trespass in the third degree); section
    28  140.15  (criminal trespass in the second degree); section 140.17 (crimi-
    29  nal trespass in the first degree); section 140.20 (burglary in the third
    30  degree); section 140.25 (burglary in the second degree); section  140.30
    31  (burglary in the first degree); section 145.00 (criminal mischief in the
    32  fourth  degree); section 145.05 (criminal mischief in the third degree);
    33  section 145.10 (criminal mischief in the second degree); section  145.12
    34  (criminal  mischief  in  the first degree); section 150.05 (arson in the
    35  fourth degree); section 150.10 (arson  in  the  third  degree);  section
    36  150.15  (arson in the second degree); section 150.20 (arson in the first
    37  degree); section 155.25 (petit larceny); section 155.30  (grand  larceny
    38  in  the  fourth  degree);  section  155.35  (grand  larceny in the third
    39  degree); section 155.40 (grand larceny in the  second  degree);  section
    40  155.42  (grand  larceny in the first degree); section 160.05 (robbery in
    41  the third degree);  section  160.10  (robbery  in  the  second  degree);
    42  section 160.15 (robbery in the first degree); section 240.25 (harassment
    43  in  the  first  degree);  subdivision one, two or four of section 240.30
    44  (aggravated harassment in the second degree); or any attempt or conspir-
    45  acy to commit any of the foregoing offenses.
    46    4. For the purposes of this section:
    47    (a) A person has an age related infirmity or disease when, being sixty
    48  years old or more, such person has  a  physical  or  mental  disease  or
    49  infirmity,  typically  associated with advanced age, which substantially
    50  limits a major life activity;
    51    (b) The term "substantial part" includes but is not limited to circum-
    52  stances in which a defendant selects a person against whom to commit  or
    53  attempt to commit a crime due to a belief or perception that such person
    54  is  less  likely  to resist or be able to resist such crime due to their
    55  disability or age related infirmity or disease,  regardless  of  whether
    56  such belief or perception is correct;

        S. 93                               5
 
     1    (c)  The  term "disability" means a physical or mental impairment that
     2  substantially limits a major life activity; and
     3    (d)  The  term  "resist" includes, in addition to its regular meaning,
     4  reporting such  crime  to  law  enforcement,  observing,  recalling,  or
     5  reporting  key  features  of  any  act  or characteristic of a defendant
     6  related to such crime, or providing evidence to aid in the investigation
     7  or prosecution of such crime.
     8  § 497.05 Sentencing.
     9    1. When a person is convicted of a crime against the elderly or  disa-
    10  bled  pursuant  to  this article, and the specified offense is a violent
    11  felony offense, as defined in section 70.02 of this chapter,  the  crime
    12  against  the  elderly  or  disabled  shall  be  deemed  a violent felony
    13  offense.
    14    2. When a person is convicted of a crime against the elderly or  disa-
    15  bled pursuant to this article and the specified offense is a misdemeanor
    16  or  a  class C, D or E felony, the crime against the elderly or disabled
    17  shall be deemed to be one category higher than the specified offense the
    18  defendant committed, or one  category  higher  than  the  offense  level
    19  applicable to the defendant's conviction for an attempt or conspiracy to
    20  commit a specified offense, whichever is applicable.
    21    3.  Notwithstanding  any  other  provision  of  law,  when a person is
    22  convicted of a crime against the elderly or disabled  pursuant  to  this
    23  article and the specified offense is a class B felony offense:
    24    (a)  the  maximum  term of the indeterminate sentence must be at least
    25  six years if the defendant is sentenced pursuant  to  section  70.00  of
    26  this chapter;
    27    (b)  the term of the determinate sentence must be at least eight years
    28  if the defendant is sentenced pursuant to section 70.02 of this chapter;
    29    (c) the term of the determinate sentence must be at least twelve years
    30  if the defendant is sentenced pursuant to section 70.04 of this chapter;
    31    (d) the maximum term of the indeterminate sentence must  be  at  least
    32  four  years  if  the defendant is sentenced pursuant to section 70.05 of
    33  this chapter; and
    34    (e) the maximum term of the indeterminate sentence or the term of  the
    35  determinate  sentence  must  be  at  least ten years if the defendant is
    36  sentenced pursuant to section 70.06 of this chapter.
    37    4. Notwithstanding any other  provision  of  law,  when  a  person  is
    38  convicted  of  crime  against  the  elderly or disabled pursuant to this
    39  article and the specified offense is a class  A-1  felony,  the  minimum
    40  period  of  the  indeterminate  sentence  shall  be not less than twenty
    41  years.
    42    § 6. Subdivisions 4 and 7 of section 200.50 of the criminal  procedure
    43  law,  subdivision  4  as amended by section 15 of subpart A of part H of
    44  chapter 55 of the laws of 2014, subdivision 7 as amended by chapter 7 of
    45  the laws of 2007, and paragraph (c) of subdivision 7 as amended by chap-
    46  ter 8 of the laws of 2019, are amended to read as follows:
    47    4. A statement in each count that the grand jury, or, where the  accu-
    48  satory  instrument  is a superior court information, the district attor-
    49  ney, accuses the  defendant  or  defendants  of  a  designated  offense,
    50  provided  that in any prosecution under article four hundred eighty-five
    51  of the penal law, the designated offense shall be the specified offense,
    52  as defined in subdivision three of section  485.05  of  the  penal  law,
    53  followed  by  the phrase "as a hate crime", and provided further that in
    54  any prosecution under section 490.25 of the penal  law,  the  designated
    55  offense  shall be the specified offense, as defined in subdivision three
    56  of section 490.05 of the penal law, followed by the phrase "as  a  crime

        S. 93                               6
 
     1  of  terrorism";  and  provided  further  that  in  any prosecution under
     2  section 130.91 of the penal law, the designated  offense  shall  be  the
     3  specified  offense,  as  defined in subdivision two of section 130.91 of
     4  the  penal law, followed by the phrase "as a sexually motivated felony";
     5  and provided further that in any prosecution under section 497.00 of the
     6  penal law, the designated offense shall be  the  specified  offense,  as
     7  defined  in  subdivision  three  of  section  497.00  of  the penal law,
     8  followed by the phrase "as a crime against the elderly or disabled"; and
     9  provided further that in any prosecution under  section  496.06  of  the
    10  penal  law,  the  designated  offense shall be the specified offense, as
    11  defined in subdivision two of such section, followed by the phrase "as a
    12  public corruption crime"; and
    13    7. A plain and concise factual statement in each count which,  without
    14  allegations of an evidentiary nature,
    15    (a)  asserts facts supporting every element of the offense charged and
    16  the defendant's or defendants' commission thereof with sufficient preci-
    17  sion to clearly apprise the defendant or defendants of the conduct which
    18  is the subject of the accusation; and
    19    (b) in the case of any armed felony, as defined in subdivision  forty-
    20  one  of  section  1.20,  states that such offense is an armed felony and
    21  specifies  the  particular  implement  the   defendant   or   defendants
    22  possessed,  were  armed  with,  used  or displayed or, in the case of an
    23  implement displayed, specifies what the implement appeared to be; and
    24    (c) in the case of any hate crime, as defined in section 485.05 of the
    25  penal law, specifies, as applicable, that the  defendant  or  defendants
    26  intentionally selected the person against whom the offense was committed
    27  or  intended to be committed; or intentionally committed the act or acts
    28  constituting the offense, in whole or in substantial part because  of  a
    29  belief  or perception regarding the race, color, national origin, ances-
    30  try, gender, gender identity or expression,  religion,  religious  prac-
    31  tice, age, disability or sexual orientation of a person; and
    32    (d)  in the case of a crime of terrorism, as defined in section 490.25
    33  of the penal law,  specifies,  as  applicable,  that  the  defendant  or
    34  defendants  acted  with  intent to intimidate or coerce a civilian popu-
    35  lation, influence the policy of a unit of government by intimidation  or
    36  coercion,  or  affect  the  conduct  of  a unit of government by murder,
    37  assassination or kidnapping; and
    38    (e) in the case of a sexually motivated felony, as defined in  section
    39  130.91  of  the  penal law, asserts facts supporting the allegation that
    40  the offense was sexually motivated; and
    41    (f) in the case of any crime  against  the  elderly  or  disabled,  as
    42  defined  in  section  497.00 of the penal law, specifies, as applicable,
    43  that the defendant  or  defendants  intentionally  selected  the  person
    44  against  whom  the offense was committed or intended to be committed; or
    45  intentionally committed the act or acts  constituting  the  offense,  in
    46  whole or in substantial part because of a belief or perception regarding
    47  the  disability  status or age related infirmity or disease of a person;
    48  and
    49    § 7. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
    50  ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
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