What's happening
This bill allows legislative staff to accompany legislators on visits to correctional facilities in New York.
Why it matters
Increases transparency and oversight. By allowing legislative staff to accompany legislators on correctional facility visits, the bill enables more thorough documentation and observation, enhancing the legislature’s ability to hold facilities accountable.
Improves legislative effectiveness. Staff can assist with note-taking, research, and follow-up, helping legislators better understand conditions, gather evidence, and craft more informed correctional policy.
Potentially impacts facility operations. The bill includes language that staff accompaniment cannot interfere with the department’s ability to supervise and control the facility, balancing oversight with operational security.
Removes a previous restriction. The amendment deletes language that excluded visits to areas where inmates under sentence of death are confined, suggesting broader access for legislative oversight.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Allow Staff Prison Visits
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 32
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Substituted by A6849
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.633
- 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.
Let Staff Visit Prisons
Signed by Governor · Sponsor David Weprin
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4566
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 14, 2019
Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- 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 permitting legislative staff to visit correctional facilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 146 of the correction law, as amended by chapter 234 of the laws of 2013, is amended to read as follows:
1. The following persons shall be authorized to visit at pleasure all correctional facilities: The governor and lieutenant-governor, commissioner of general services, secretary of state, comptroller and attorney-general, members of the commission of correction, members of the legislature and their accompanying staff and any employee of the department as requested by the member of the legislature if the member requests to be so accompanied, provided that such request does not impact upon the department's ability to supervise, manage and control its facilities as determined by the commissioner, judges of the court of appeals, supreme court and county judges, district attorneys and every clergyman or minister, as such terms are defined in section two of the religious corporations law, having charge of a congregation in the county wherein any such facility is situated. No other person not otherwise authorized by law shall be permitted to enter a correctional facility except by authority of the commissioner of correction under such regulations as the commissioner shall prescribe. [The provisions of this section shall not apply to such portion of a correctional facility in which inmates under sentence of death are confined.]
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10795-01-9
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 permitting legislative staff to visit correctional facilities
Summary of provisions
This bill amends Correction Law § 146(1) to make it clear that visiting legislators may bring their staff into correctional facilities.
Justification
Members of the legislature have the right to visit any correctional facility in the state at any time. They are usually accompanied by legislative staff. Although this had not been a problem in state facili- ties, a county jail recently turned legislative staff away, only permit- ting the visiting assembly member to enter by himself. This bill clari- fies that a legislator has the right to bring in his or her employees when visiting a facility.
Legislative history of bill
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.