This bill requires prosecutors to inform crime victims - including those who experienced sexual offenses - about New York's address confidentiality program. The program helps protect victims' home addresses from public disclosure by providing alternative mailing addresses. Prosecutors must now specifically notify victims about this program during case proceedings, as mandated by the new requirements added to state law. This change directly affects victims navigating the justice system by ensuring they learn about available privacy protections. The bill amends existing laws to make this notification a standard step in victim communication.
Authorizes one or more individuals who are under a shared contract to opt-out of such contract without a fee, penalty or charge due to status as a domestic violence victim; prohibits the company from transferring any contractual or billing responsibility of such shared contract to any other account holders on such shared contract; prevents companies from prohibiting a person who has opted-out due to domestic violence status to enter into a new contract.
Requires the notification of a crime victim or witness of the death of the accused if such person dies during pending judicial proceedings or during any period of incarceration, parole or post-release supervision, or when an order of protection exists.
This bill allows retired New York state employees to change their designated beneficiaries if that beneficiary was convicted of a family offense (such as domestic violence) and the retiree was the complainant in the case. Retirees have 180 days from the conviction date to submit a written request to the retirement system to update their beneficiary or election. The law applies to all retirement systems covered under the state’s retirement and social security laws, including public education and city employee plans. The comptroller must notify retirees about this provision and create implementing rules. It directly affects retirees who are complainants in family offense cases involving their current beneficiaries.
Increases the amount for awards made to crime victims; specifies certain items of personal property which are necessary and essential to the welfare of a claimant.
Prohibits the use of intoxication of the victim as a defense in sex crimes where the victim is under the extreme influence of any substance which renders them incapable of appraising or controlling such victim's conduct and incapable of clearly expressing lack of consent.
Enacts "DJ's law" which requires training for police officers on discharging a firearm at a moving vehicle; requires the municipal police training council to develop and disseminate written policies and procedures regarding such force.
Authorizes vocational training, where practicable, to incarcerated individuals on the installation of solar hot water systems for the provision of hot water to correctional facilities.
Redefines the term "following" for a crime of stalking in the fourth degree to include the use of certain devices or computers to gain access to, record, track or report the movement or location of a person or their property without the person's permission or authority to do so.
Establishes the crime of voyeurism in the first and second degree which is defined as when someone for their own amusement, entertainment, profit, sexual arousal or sexual gratification trespasses or uses an instrument to observe for the purpose of viewing a person dressing or undressing or the sexual or other intimate parts of such person at a place and time when such person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, without such person's knowledge or consent.
