Requires the secretary of state to develop and mandate training of police department personnel and state police officers on the protocols of the address confidentiality program.
This bill amends New York's correction law to standardize how courts determine sex offender registration levels and classifications. It requires courts to use specific risk assessment tools to decide if a sex offender (released on probation, conditional discharge, or with a fine) must register long-term, be classified as a sexual predator/violent offender, or receive higher community notification. The process includes mandatory hearings where the district attorney must prove classifications with clear evidence, offenders can present evidence, and courts must provide written notices explaining the classification's impact on registration duration and public disclosure. The bill also ensures confidentiality for board recommendations and guarantees legal representation for financially unable offenders.
Establishes the chief administrator of the courts shall submit annually a report on the administration, function and effectiveness of the Drug Treatment Court Program during the preceding year.
This bill expands the legal definition of a "victim of a sexual offense" in New York State to explicitly include individuals harmed by the unlawful dissemination or publication of intimate images. It amends Section 108 of the Executive Law to add this new category to the existing definition, which previously covered offenses under specific Penal Law sections. The change directly affects people whose intimate images are shared without consent, ensuring they are recognized under the same legal framework as victims of other sexual offenses. This is a definitional update, not a new criminal penalty, and applies to all cases falling under the revised definition.
Allows the removal of criminal actions to a mental health court in an adjoining county and provides for the reversion to the original court of record where the defendant fails to comply with or complete the mental health court program.
This bill establishes legal confidentiality for conversations between police officers and peer support specialists during official counseling sessions. It directly affects law enforcement officers seeking mental health support and the peer support specialists who provide it. Key provisions prohibit disclosing session details unless there's a specific threat of suicide, self-harm, violence, or child abuse - allowing limited disclosure only to prevent harm. Officers must receive written notice before sessions explaining these confidentiality rules and exceptions. The law ensures peer support communications remain private except in clearly defined safety emergencies.
This bill (A 9491) requires courts and mental health institutions to coordinate discharge planning for defendants in criminal cases terminated due to mental disease or defect. It mandates that courts order referrals to community services (when clinically appropriate and with consent) and dismiss charges upon termination, while institutions must track referrals and submit de-identified annual reports to state officials. The mental hygiene law office must publish annual public data on defendant outcomes, including admission rates, discharge planning, and referral patterns. The bill directly affects defendants in such cases, courts, mental health facilities, and state agencies, without altering eligibility for services or requiring referrals where consent is absent.
Requires the same benefits and services for post-traumatic stress disorder for emergency dispatchers and correction officers as are afforded police and firefighters.
This bill amends New York's stalking law to explicitly include unauthorized Bluetooth tracking as a form of "following" in the crime of stalking in the fourth degree. It directly affects individuals who use Bluetooth technology to secretly track another person's location without permission. The key change adds Bluetooth (along with GPS) to the legal definition of "following," making such unauthorized tracking a punishable offense under existing stalking statutes. Stalking in the fourth degree remains a class B misdemeanor under this updated law.
Requires all incarcerated individuals who do not have a high-school diploma or its equivalent to receive a reading proficiency level assessment and dyslexia screening upon intake by the department of corrections; requires for such individuals who perform below a certain proficiency level to be provided with intervention services that are evidence-based, effective and consistent with science-based research specifically tailored to addressing dyslexia.