What's happening
The bill prohibits state psychiatric facilities that share a building with children's centers from admitting or treating registered sex offenders.
Why it matters
Creates a new requirement for state psychiatric facilities to screen all potential patients for sex offender status before admission or treatment. this could influence intake procedures and confidentiality practices, and may affect how quickly individuals can access needed care.
Prevents registered sex offenders from receiving psychiatric treatment in any state facility that shares a building with a children's psychiatric center. this could limit where such individuals can access mental health services, potentially increasing logistical and resource challenges for both patients and providers.
Aims to increase safety and peace of mind for children and families using state children’s psychiatric centers. but could also raise concerns about stigma, patient rights, and the adequacy of care alternatives for sex offenders in need of mental health treatment.
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Who cares
State-operated psychiatric facilities
Facilities providing non-emergency inpatient or outpatient psychiatric care in the same building as a state-operated children's psychiatric center would have to check sex-offender status before treatment or admission.
Registered sex offenders seeking psychiatric care
They would be barred from admission or treatment at facilities sharing a building with a children's psychiatric center.
Children receiving psychiatric care and their families
The bill would prohibit facilities in the same building as a children's psychiatric center from admitting or treating registered sex offenders at that location.
Headline styles
Block Sex Offenders from Children's Centers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 38
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to mental health and developmental disabilities
- Referred to mental health and developmental disabilities
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.
Ban Sex Offenders Near Kids
In Assembly Committee · Mental Health · Sponsor William Colton
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6028
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
May 16, 2019
Introduced by Sen. CARLUCCI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities
AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to treatment of sex offenders in certain facilities
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The mental hygiene law is amended by adding a new section 9.65 to read as follows: § 9.65 Treatment of sex offenders in certain facilities.
Any facility operated by the state, which provides non-emergency, clinical outpatient or inpatient psychiatric treatment and which operates in the same building as a children's psychiatric center operated by the state shall determine, prior to the treatment or admission of any person, whether such person is a sex offender, as defined by subdivision one of section one hundred sixty-eight-a of the correction law. No facility which operates in the same building as a children's psychiatric center shall admit or treat a registered sex offender at such location.
§ 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.
LBD02635-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to treatment of sex offenders in certain facilities
Purpose or general idea of bill
This legislation would prohibit a sex offender from receiving inpatient or outpatient treatment at a facility that is in the same building or physical location as a children's psychiatric facility.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1 amends the mental hygiene law to add a new Section 9.65 which states that any facility operated by the state which provides non-emer- gency clinical outpatient or inpatient psychiatric treatment and, which operates in the same building as a children's psychiatric center oper- ated by the State shall not treat a registered sex offender at this location.
Section 2 This law shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become law.
Justification
The co-mingling of adult and children mental health patients is an incredibly poor idea that has no therapeutic benefit. While the State is considering this idea it must be made clear that the mental health of these children and adolescent patients is paramount. The thought of co-mingling these populations is a poor idea, made only poorer by the fact that there are no current statutes protecting these young individ- ual from sexual offenders who will be receiving treatment. Ensuring that these populations are separate should be the State's priority.
Prior legislative history
New Bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
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.