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Who cares
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Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to crime victims, crime and correction
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Prohibits registered sex offenders from working with children
In Assembly Committee · Correction · Sponsor Harvey Weisenberg
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the correction law, in relation to prohibiting registered sex offenders from working with children
Purpose
To prohibit registered sex offenders from working with children.
Summary of provisions
Section One - The Correction Law is amended to prohibit all registered sex offenders from accepting a position whether paid or as a volunteer which places the person in substantial contact with children. "Substantial contact with children" is defined. Employers, organizations and government entities are provided access to the Statewide Central Registry of Child Abuse and Maltreatment for the purposes of a mandatory background check for prospective employees or volunteers. Such applicants shall also be checked against New York State's Sex Offender Registry maintained by the Division of Criminal Justice Services. Penalties are provided for registered sex offenders who violate this section as well as any employers who knowingly violate this section.
Section Two - Sets forth the effective date.
Existing law
Under current law, sex offenders are not prohibited from working or volunteering in many capacities that place them in direct or substantial contact with children.
Justification
It is a well known fact that sex offenders and pedophiles have an extremely high rate of recidivism. In some instances these rates are as high as 40 percent. Even more disturbing are the statistics that state the typical pedophile commits an average of 280 sexual crimes during their lifetime and the average serial child molester has between 360-380 victims in their lifetime.
These sobering statistics and many high-profile cases of convicted sex offenders released back into our communities who assaulted, abused, tortured and even murdered innocent children were driving forces behind the creation of nationwide sex offender registries.
While parents and communities can monitor the whereabouts of convicted sex offenders released back into their neighborhoods, they should not have to worry that places they bring their children for care, recreation, entertainment or any other type of child-based activity have registered sex offenders on the payroll or working as volunteers.
The need for this type of legislation and a change in New York State Law is epitomized by a recent Fox 5 NYC Exclusive story revealing that a Level 2 sex offender, who was convicted of sexual assault in the 1st degree for sexually abusing and 11-year-old girl, is operating a karate school in Glendale, Queens. This individual has daily contact with young children whose parents bring them there for a recreational activity in what is assumed to be a safe environment. Clearly, these children are anywhere but safe being in direct and close contact with a Level 2 sex offender with a predilection for young girls.
This legislation would put an end to this type of abhorrent situation by prohibiting all registered sex offenders from working or volunteering with children in any capacity.
Legislative history
This is a new bill. FISCAL IMPLICATIONS : To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.