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The New York State Senate today passed legislation that would make it a crime for school employees to engage in sexual activity with students, including those who are older than New York’s legal age of consent. The bill (S.6714), sponsored by Senator Betty Little (R-C-I, Queensbury), addresses inappropriate student-school employee relationships by criminalizing sexual conduct between school employees and full-time students of elementary and secondary schools.

SENATE PASSES BILL TO REQUIRE IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OF ABUSE IN STATE FACILITIESMeasure Provides Timely Notification to Law Enforcement of Abuse of Children in Residential Care    The New York State Senate today passed legislation, sponsored by Senator Steve Saland (R, I, C – Poughkeepsie), that would modify current reporting procedures involving the abuse of children in residential care.      The measure (S.6563) guarantees that reports of certain abuse will be immediately forwarded to law enforcement.  The passage of this legislation comes amidst the latest announcement by Governor Andrew Cuomo of his proposal to establish the Justice Center for the Protection of Persons with Special Needs.

    The New York State Senate yesterday passed a bill (S.638), sponsored by Senator Martin Golden (R-C-I, Brooklyn), which allows local governments to authorize property tax exemptions for people who make improvements or changes to their homes to accommodate senior relatives or disabled people. The legislation means that homeowners are able to add on to their homes for this purpose without having to pay higher taxes resulting from increased property assessments.

GOVERNOR CUOMO ANNOUNCES MORE THAN 3,000 TICKETS ISSUED DURING SECOND OPERATION HANG-UPSecond Enhanced Enforcement Campaign Continues To Crack Down on Motorists that Illegally Use a Hand-Held DeviceGovernor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the New York State Police issued 3,172 tickets for texting-while-driving violations during the second Operation Hang Up campaign held from April 23 to April 29, 2012.

Bill Would Require Offenders to  Take a Motor Vehicle Accident Prevention Course    The New York State Senate today passed legislation (S.4740C), sponsored by Senator Owen H. Johnson (R-C, Babylon), that would require certain drivers convicted of drunk driving to take a motor vehicle accident prevention course.  The bill requires drivers convicted of a drunk driving offense to take the motor vehicle accident prevention course if they are convicted of drunk driving, or refuse to take a chemical test, or have accumulated more than six points on their license.

    The New York State Senate today passed legislation to criminalize the sale and possession of synthetic marijuana. The bill (S.6694), sponsored by Senator John Flanagan (R-C-I, East Northport),  would also criminalize the sale and possession of hallucinogenic chemicals deceptively called “bath salts.”