What's happening
This bill requires profits from commissaries or canteens in county correctional facilities to be used for the institution's general purposes.
Why it matters
Redirects commissary profits to general institution use. By requiring profits from commissaries or canteens to go into a general fund for the facility, this could affect how resources are allocated within county jails, potentially shifting spending priorities.
Limits earmarking for specific programs. Previously, some facilities may have used commissary profits for extras like recreational activities or inmate welfare programs. This bill could reduce or eliminate dedicated funding for such initiatives, impacting inmates’ quality of life.
Creates uniformity across counties. The bill standardizes how commissary profits are handled, potentially reducing disparities between counties in terms of what services or amenities are funded by these profits.
May influence accountability and transparency. By formalizing the use of commissary profits, the bill could make it easier to track how these funds are spent and ensure they support the institution as a whole, not just select programs or individuals.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Use Commissary Profits Locally
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to crime victims, crime and correction
- Referred to crime victims, crime and correction
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
275
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by Sen. ORTT -- 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 the use of profits from commissaries or canteens in county correctional facilities
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 500-q to read as follows:
§ 500-q. Use of profits from commissaries or canteens. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, moneys received by the head of a county correctional facility as profits from the sales of the commissary or canteen shall be deposited in a special fund to be known as the commissary or canteen fund and such funds shall be used for the general purposes of the institution.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02743-01-9
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 the use of profits from commissaries or canteens in county correctional facilities
Purpose
This legislation would allow profits earned from the sale of items at commissaries located within County Jails to be used for the general purposes of the institution.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 adds a-new section 500-q to allow for profits earned from the sale of items at commissaries located within County Jails to be used for the general purposes of the institution.
Section 2 is the effective date.
Justification
Equity. Current law allows commissaries or canteens in state correction- al institutions to use profits raised to be deposited for the general use of the facility. However, current statute limits how County Jails can spend this money. Having State and County prisons and jails being able to have a commissary but have different abilities as to how to spend this money is unfair and should be parallel in statute.
Legislative history
S. 7122A of 2018; Advanced to Third Reading.
Fiscal implications
None to the state.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.