BILL NUMBER: S8876
SPONSOR: CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the executive law, in relation to establishing the
persistent domestic violence offender registry
 
PURPOSE:
To establish a persistent domestic violence offender registry, similar
to the sex offender registry.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1: Amends the Executive Law to establish within the New York
State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence a registry for
persistent domestic violence offenders that shall be made available for
public inquiry on the Office's public website. Such registry shall
include of an offender's name, date of birth, conviction date, county or
counties of convictions, and a current photograph, but shall not make
information such as an offender's address, social security number, driv-
er's license number, or any other state or federal identification number
available for public inquiry.
Provides that a person convicted of a family offense against a member of
the same household shall be ordered to register as a persistent domestic
violence offender if they have a prior conviction of a family offense
against a member of the same household. Registrants shall be assessed a
registration fee of $150, with $50 reserved for the purposes of the
registry and $100 going toward grants to fund family violence prevention
and intervention services.
Further provides that registrants shall be removed from the registry 5
years after the date of the most recent conviction if the defendant has
one prior conviction, 7 years after the most recent conviction if the
defendant has two prior convictions, 10 years after the most recent
conviction if the defendant has three prior convictions, and 20 years
after the most recent conviction if the defendant has four or more prior
convictions.
Defines relevant terms for the purposes of this act.
Section 2: Provides the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Domestic violence prevention is one of the most challenging issues of
public safety to address, thus making it more important for a cohesive
network of public reporting to be put in place for victims and the
public. Because of the fear of retaliation, the relationships and entan-
glements of the survivor to the abuser, and the risk of isolation,
domestic violence frequently goes unreported. As domestic violence
reporting continues to increase in New York, it is increasingly impor-
tant the state acts to protect and inform residents of those who have a
history of domestic violence and can constitute public or personal safe-
ty threats.
Establishing a Persistent Domestic Violence Offender Registry would be
in the interest of both survivors' interests and the public at large,
and Tennessee became the first state in the nation to launch such a
registry on January 1, 2026. According to the Public Policy Institute of
California, domestic violence offenders have high rates of recidivism,
with approximately three-fifths of individuals convicted of domestic
violence being rearrested within two years, the majority being arrested
for further domestic violence. The Rockefeller Institute of Government
has found that around two-thirds to three-quarters of female inter-part-
ner homicide (IPH) victims were previously abused by their partner
before their deaths. With both high rates of recidivism among perpetra-
tors and a strong pattern of domestic violence escalating, New York must
take strong actions to address domestic violence. The creation of a
Persistent Domestic Violence Offender Registry would be powerful step in
the right direction, helping to create a New York that is safe for all
New Yorkers, especially survivors of domestic violence.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
New bill.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
To be determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the
date on which it shall have become law and shall apply to offenses
committed on or after such date.