BILL NUMBER:  S6857

 TITLE OF BILL :
An act to amend the correction law, in relation to permissible
employment, employment related activities, and volunteer activities
that may be performed by convicted sex offenders


 PURPOSE :
This bill amends certain sections of the correction law with respect
to the employment of convicted sex offenders.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :
Section 1 amends the Correction Law by prohibiting convicted sex
offenders from working or volunteering at any facility where such
employment would allow the offender unsupervised access to residential
living quarters.  Section 2 establishes an immediate effective date.

 JUSTIFICATION :
The enactment of the Sex Offender Registration Act (SORA) (Correction
Law Article 6-C) in 1996 established a system within which to protect
our communities by requiring sex offenders to register with the State,
and to make public information about offenders living in our
neighborhoods. Armed with this information, our communities are able
to shield the most vulnerable of citizens. While current law provides
comprehensive residential prohibitions, it lacks similar employment
              

restrictions. The law goes to great lengths to restrict convicted sex
offenders from living in our neighborhoods, yet allows convicted
offenders to work in our homes without our knowledge or supervision.

This loophole was recently highlighted in the news when it was
discovered that a Level-3 sex offender was employed as a
superintendent in a residential building in Manhattan. Employment as a
building superintendent allowed this convicted offender to possess
keys to individual apartments. Permitting convicted sex offenders such
unsupervised access is dangerous, and counter-intuitive. Most shocking
about this unfettered access to residences, is that the existing law
does not prohibit convicted sex offenders from obtaining such
employment.

Amending Section 168-v of the Correction Law expands and enhances the
protections established by the Sex Offender Registration Act. This
amendment is not intended to bar one's ability to secure a livelihood,
but to exclude from permissible employment those positions in which
convicted sex offenders have unsupervised access to residences.
Requiring direct supervision of any convicted sex offender employee,
or volunteer, who has access to residential living quarters is not
only prudent, but necessary to protect our most vulnerable citizens.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY :
None.

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS :
None.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :
This act shall take effect immediately.