What's happening
This bill requires legislative approval before any correctional facility or institution in New York State can be closed.
Why it matters
Shifts decision-making power from the executive branch to the legislature. for the closure of correctional facilities, meaning elected representatives—not just state agencies or the governor—must approve closures, potentially increasing political accountability and transparency.
Requires a full year’s notice and a detailed justification report. before any facility can be closed, giving communities, employees, and incarcerated individuals more time to prepare for the impacts, and allowing for public debate and scrutiny.
May slow or complicate efforts to downsize or reform the prison system. , as legislative approval introduces additional procedural hurdles and opportunities for opposition, possibly making it harder to close underused or outdated facilities.
Increases legislative oversight and the potential for political negotiation. around prison closures, which could result in decisions being influenced by local economic, employment, or political considerations rather than solely correctional system needs.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Legislature Must OK Prison Closings
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to correction
- Referred to 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.
Legislature Approves Prison Closures
In Senate Committee · Crime Victims, Crime And Correction · Sponsor Daphne Jordan
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6858
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 22, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. ORTIZ, BLAKE, MOSLEY, COOK, JONES, COLTON, TAYLOR, McDONOUGH -- read once and referred to the Committee on Correction
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to requiring legislative approval for the closure of correctional facilities and institutions
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 30 to read as follows:
§ 30. Closure of correctional facilities. The department shall submit a written report to the legislature at least three hundred sixty-five days prior to the date the department is seeking closure of any correctional facility or institution. Such report shall include justification for the proposed closure. The legislature may require any additional information or data that it deems necessary in such report. If the legislature, or the appropriate committees thereof, upon review of the report submitted to it by the department, finds that the proposed closure is not justified then closure shall not occur until approved by a majority vote of each house of the legislature.
§ 2. Severability. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, such judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall be confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, section or part thereof directly involved in the controversy in which such judgment shall have been rendered.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09091-01-9
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.