What's happening
This bill makes it a class A misdemeanor to knowingly harbor, house, or employ an unregistered sex offender without notifying local law enforcement.
Why it matters
Increases Community Responsibility. The bill creates a legal duty for individuals to notify law enforcement if they know they are harboring, housing, or employing a sex offender who is not properly registered, making it harder for offenders to avoid oversight.
Expands Legal Liability. Ordinary people—such as landlords, employers, or even friends and family—could face criminal charges if they fail to report the whereabouts of unregistered sex offenders, raising the stakes for those who might otherwise look the other way.
Aims to Strengthen Sex Offender Monitoring. By targeting not just offenders but those who assist them in evading registration, the bill seeks to close loopholes in the state’s sex offender registry system and improve public safety through stricter enforcement.
Potential for Unintended Consequences. The law could have significant implications for housing and employment opportunities for sex offenders, potentially leading to increased homelessness or joblessness among this population if people are hesitant to assist them for fear of prosecution.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Report Sex Offender Harboring
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
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
3958
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 21, 2019
Introduced by Sens. RANZENHOFER, AKSHAR, FELDER, FUNKE, HELMING, JACOBS, ORTT, RITCHIE, SERINO, SEWARD, YOUNG -- 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 knowingly harboring a sex offender who has failed to register or verify
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 168- ii to read as follows:
§ 168-ii. Failure to notify; penalty. Any person who knowingly harbors, houses or employs a sex offender required to register or to verify residence or employment pursuant to the provisions of this article who has failed to register or to verify as required by law, and who fails to notify his or her local law enforcement agency of the location of such sex offender, shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01609-01-9
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 knowingly harboring a sex offender who has failed to register or verify
Summary of provisions
Section 1 adds a new subdivision 168-ii that provides that any person who knowingly harbors, houses or employs a sex offender required to register or verify residence or employment pursuant to Section 168 of the Corrections Law, who has failed to register or verify as required by law, and fails to notify his or her local law enforcement agency as to the location of such offender, shall be guilty of an A misdemeanor.
Section 2 provides that the act shall take effect on January first next succeeding the date upon which it shall have become law.
Purpose and justification
The recent abduction and murder of Jessica Lunsford in Florida has again reminded us of the possibility of recidivism for those convicted of sex offenses, as well as the problem of dealing with those who protect convicted sex offenders who they know have not registered with the Divi- sion of Criminal Justice Services. Officials in Florida report that they twice interviewed persons in the house where the accused murderer was living, yet those persons never divulged that the suspect was living there. The accused murderer had a 30-year criminal history and was a convicted sex offender who was required to register, but had failed to do so. Officials further indicate that there is a high possibility that Jessica was still alive at the time these interviews were done. Had family members notified the police that the accused was living there, it is possible that she might have been rescued, but there was no law that would obligate these family members to tell officials that this convicted offender was living with them.
Existing law
Article 6-C of the Corrections Law provides for registration of convicted sex offenders.
Prior legislative history
2006 - S.4936-A/A.9233/A.10099 -- PASSED SENATE/Correction/Correction 2007-08 - S.4636/A.2621 - PASSED SENATE/Correction 2009-10 - S.2988/A.945 -- CRIME & CORRECTIONS/Correction 2011-12 - S.3220 - PASSED SENATE 2013-14--S.1437 - PASSED SENATE 2015-16--S.869 - PASSED SENATE 2017-18--S.2595 - PASSED SENATE
Fiscal implications
None.
Local fiscal implications
None.
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.