What's happening
This bill requires sex offenders in New York to verify their registration with the sex offender registry twice a year instead of annually.
Why it matters
Increases oversight of registered sex offenders by requiring them to confirm their location and information twice a year, instead of just once. , potentially making it harder for offenders to evade detection or slip through bureaucratic cracks.
Mandates that verification forms be sent on randomly selected dates within each six-month period. , reducing the predictability of compliance checks and possibly deterring offenders from planning around known deadlines.
Extends the biannual verification requirement to all risk levels and both those on probation/parole and those who have completed their sentences. , aiming for more consistent and thorough monitoring across the entire registry.
Signals a policy shift toward stricter monitoring in response to public safety concerns. , which could affect not just offenders but also law enforcement workloads, administrative costs, and the balance between public protection and offender reintegration.
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Who cares
Registered sex offenders
The bill would replace annual verification tied to their registration anniversary with twice-yearly verification triggered by randomly mailed forms.
State sex offender registry administrators
The bill would require mailing nonforwardable verification forms to each registrant’s last reported address on a different random date during each six-month period of the calendar year.
Level one and unclassified registrants
The bill would require twice-yearly registration and verification over the existing 20-year period for those without specified offender designations.
Level two and level three registrants and designated offenders
The bill would require twice-yearly registration and verification for life, while retaining the existing opportunity for certain level two offenders to seek relief.
Headline styles
Twice-Yearly Sex Offender Checks
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to crime victims, crime and correction
- 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.
Sex Offenders Verify Address Twice
In Assembly Committee · Correction · Sponsor Fred Thiele
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1314
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 14, 2019
Introduced by Sens. SERINO, LANZA, SEWARD -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to requiring sex offenders to verify their registration with the sex offender registry on a biannual basis
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 4 of section 168-b of the correction law, as added by chapter 192 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
4. The division shall, upon a different random date during each six month period of the calendar year, mail a nonforwardable verification form to the last reported address of the person for [annual] biannual verification requirements.
§ 2. The opening paragraph of subdivision 2 of section 168-f of the correction law, as added by chapter 192 of the laws of 1995, is amended to read as follows:
For a sex offender required to register under this article [on each anniversary of the sex offender's initial registration date] upon receipt of each randomly mailed biannual verification form during the period in which he is required to register under this section the following applies:
§ 3. Subdivision 2 of section 168-g of the correction law, as amended by section 18 of subpart B of part C of chapter 62 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
2. Every sex offender who on the effective date of this article is then on community supervision or probation for an offense provided for in subdivision two or three of section one hundred sixty-eight-a of this article shall within ten calendar days of such determination register with his parole or probation officer. [On each anniversary of] On and after the sex offender's initial registration date [thereafter], the
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06744-01-9
S. 1314 2
provisions of section one hundred sixty-eight-f of this article shall be deemed to apply to such offender. Any sex offender who fails or refuses to so comply shall be subject to the same penalties as otherwise provided for in this article which would be imposed upon a sex offender who fails or refuses to so comply with the provisions of this article on or after such effective date.
§ 4. Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 168-h of the correction law, as amended by chapter 1 of the laws of 2006, are amended to read as follows:
1. The duration of registration and verification for a sex offender who has not been designated a sexual predator, or a sexually violent offender, or a predicate sex offender, and who is classified as a level one risk, or who has not yet received a risk level classification, shall be [annually] biannually for a period of twenty years from the initial date of registration.
2. The duration of registration and verification for a sex offender who, on or after March eleventh, two thousand two, is designated a sexual predator, or a sexually violent offender, or a predicate sex offender, or who is classified as a level two or level three risk, shall be [annually] biannually for life. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a sex offender who is classified as a level two risk and who is not designated a sexual predator, a sexually violent offender or a predicate sex offender, may be relieved of the duty to register and verify as provided by subdivision one of section one hundred sixty-eight-o of this article.
§ 5. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law, provided that any rules, regulations and forms necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be completed on or before such date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the correction law, in relation to requiring sex offen- ders to verify their registration with the sex offender registry on a biannual basis
Purpose
To increase the number of times a sex offender has to verify their registration with the Division of Criminal Justice Services.
Summary of provisions
Section 1: Subdivision 4 of Section 168-b of the Correction Law, as added by Chapter 192 of the Laws of 1995, is amended to provide that DCJS shall on random dates in each six month period of the year mail a nonforwardable verification form to sex offenders.
Read the full memo (617 words)
Section 2: The opening paragraph of subdivision 2 of section 168-f of the Correction Law, as added by Chapter 192 of the Laws of 1995, is amended to change from an annual verification date to a random biannual verification procedure.
Section 3: Subdivision 2 of section 168-g of the Correction Law, as amended by section 18 of subpart B of part C of Chapter 62 of the laws of 2011, is amended to provide that sex offenders must comply with the random biannual address verification.
Section 4: Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 168-h of the Correction Law, as amended by Chapter 1 of the Laws of 2006, are amended to change annu- ally to biannually.
Section 5: Provides the effective date.
Justification
Terrifying examples of the need for stricter laws regulating sex offen- ders permeate the news across the country evening after evening. The killing of children like Jessica Lunsford in Florida is a sad reminder that the current state of sex offender registration and community notification leaves more to be done in the effort to ensure the safety of our children and communities. Law enforcement officers need better tools to be able to keep track of the most dangerous offenders, espe- cially those who choose to ignore their registration requirements under New York State's version of Megan's Law. Therefore, it is vitally important to verify the registered location of sex offenders to make sure that they have not moved and are still following their registration requirements.
Under current law, level 3 offenders must verify their registration every 90 days. However, level 1 and 2 offenders are only checked on once a year with a verification form on their anniversary of registration. By giving convicted sex offenders a year between each verification of their registration, and especially by letting them know when this verification will take place, we leave New York residents vulnerable to the possibil- ity that these offenders will cheat the system in between verifications in order to harm more children. Recent attacks on children across the country have shown that sex offenders will often abscond from their registered address to areas where law enforcement and residents are unaware of their existence. Therefore, it is important to verify that a sex offender is indeed living where they are registered at least once in each six month period of time, and to stop doing so on a date that the offender is aware of in advance.
Legislative history
2017-18: S.2173 Passed Senate 2015-16: S.6689 Passed Senate 2013-14: S.1428 Referred to Crime Victims, Crime and Corrections/Assembly Corrections 2011-12: S.1829A Referred to Finance 2009-10: S.1485 Referred to Codes 2007-08: S.434 Passed Senate, Non-Controversial/Assembly Corrections 2005-06: S.5404A Passed Senate/Assembly Corrections
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law, provided that any rules, regu- lations and forms necessary to implement the provisions of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be completed on or before such date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.