BILL NUMBER: S5068
SPONSOR: GRIFFO
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the correction law, in relation to requiring sex offen-
ders who repeatedly fail to register and verify to wear a location-tran-
smitting device
 
PURPOSE:
This bill will require sex offenders who fail to register in a timely
manner or verify their registration requirements under New York State's
Sex Offender Registration Act to wear location-transmitting devices.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section One - Section 168-t of the Correction Law, as amended by Chapter
373 of the Laws of 2007, is amended to make an addition to the penalties
provided when a sex offender fails to register or verify his/her infor-
mation required pursuant to this article two or more times to be
required to wear a location-transmitting device at all times.
Section Two - Sets forth 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 commentary
indeed that sex offender registration and community notification are not
enough to keep our children and communities safe from such vicious pred-
ators. Law enforcement officers need better tools to be able to keep
track of the most dangerous offenders, especially those who choose to
ignore their registration requirements under New York State's version of
Megan's Law. This legislation is based on a federal initiative, H.R.
1505, The Jessica Lunsford Act, which among its provisions would require
all states to implement a policy where any sex offender who fails to
register, verify or update information regarding their sex offender
registration requirements two or more times be mandated to wear a GPS
monitoring system such as an ankle bracelet. Should such legislation be
signed into law, all states will risk the loss of 10 percent of funds
that would otherwise be allocated to the state under Section 506 of the
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. The war against sex
offenders needs to be stepped up and GPS technology and the strict moni-
toring of the most dangerous and uncooperative offenders is a big step
in the right direction.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24-S.3278 - Crime Victims, Crime and Correction Committee
2021-22 - S.4198 - Crime Victims Crime and Correction Committee.
2019-20 - S.4736/A. 3212 - Crime Victims Crime and Correction Committee.
2017-18 - S. 3907/A.2430 - Crime Victims Crime and Correction Committee.
2015-16 -S.4465/A.5888-Crime Victims Crime and Correction Committee.
2013-14 - S. 3919/A. 2021 - Crime Victims Crime and Correction Commit-
tee.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
180 Days after it shall become a law.

Statutes affected:
S5068: 168-t correction law