What's happening
This bill requires all registered sex offenders in New York to wear electronic tracking devices and criminalizes tampering with them.
Why it matters
Expands government surveillance. By mandating electronic tracking for all registered sex offenders, the bill significantly increases ongoing state monitoring over individuals who have already completed their sentences, raising questions about privacy and civil liberties.
Creates new criminal liability. Tampering with a tracking device becomes its own felony offense, meaning registered offenders can face additional prison time not for a new sex crime, but for interfering with the device—even potentially for accidental or technical issues.
Applies retroactively. The requirement would not just impact new registrants, but also anyone already on the sex offender registry, which could affect thousands of people statewide and potentially lead to legal challenges or logistical hurdles.
Intended to increase public safety. Supporters may argue that real-time location tracking can help prevent recidivism and enable law enforcement to respond quickly if an offender enters restricted areas, but critics could contend there’s limited evidence of effectiveness and a risk of overreach.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Tag Sex Offenders Electronically
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to correction
- Referred to correction
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3740
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 31, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to requiring registered sex offenders to wear electronic tagging devices
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 168-w of the correction law, as relettered by chapter 604 of the laws of 2005, is relettered section 168-x and a new section 168-w is added to read as follows:
§ 168-w. Wearing of electronic tagging devices. 1. Any person who is required to register pursuant to this article shall also be required to wear an electronic tagging device. For purposes of this section, an electronic tagging device means a device, worn by an individual, that transmits a signal and enables another person or entity to monitor, track, and/or pinpoint the location of the individual wearing the device through the reception of that signal.
2. An individual may not tamper with his or her electronic tagging device in any way, nor may they allow another person to tamper with such device. A person who is caught tampering with an electronic tagging device shall be guilty of a class E felony.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to any person who is required to register pursuant to article 6-C of the correction law on or after such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD08195-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.