Senate Bill S2872

                            
                    S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________

                                  2872

                       2011-2012 Regular Sessions

                            I N  S E N A T E

                            February 2, 2011
                               ___________

Introduced  by  Sen.  DUANE  -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
  printed to be committed to the Committee on Insurance

AN ACT requiring the commissioner of insurance to  conduct  a  study  to
  identify problems and concerns regarding the bail bond business and to
  present his or her findings to the legislature

  THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section 1. a. The commissioner of insurance shall, within 90  days  of
the effective date of this act, conduct a study to identify problems and
concerns  regarding the bail bond business as defined in section 6801 of
the insurance law. The study is to identify necessary  improvements  and
clarifications to current regulations and statutes related to the rights
of defendants who utilize the bail bond business.
  b.  Upon  completion  of  the  study, the commissioner shall prepare a
report with the department's suggestions for regulatory and/or statutory
changes necessary to improve and clarify current regulations  and  stat-
utes related to the rights of defendants who utilize the bail bond busi-
ness as defined in section 6801 of the insurance law.
  c.  Upon  completion  of  the  report,  the commissioner or her or his
designated hearing officer shall hold a public hearing in that  area  in
order  to  afford  an opportunity for any person to propose additions or
deletions from the report recommendations and shall assure  that  copies
of  the  report are available for public inspection and a copy posted to
the department's website.
  d. The commissioner of insurance shall give notice of such hearing  by
certified  mail  not  less  than  30 days prior to the date set for such
hearing to all relevant stakeholders including, but not limited to,  any
person,  firm  or  corporation,  or  officer, employee or agent thereof,
licensed under section 6801 of the  insurance  law,  all  county  funded
public defenders and legal aid societies, the district attorney for each

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD08263-01-1

              

S. 2872                             2

county  and  a  representative  appointed by chief judge of the New York
state court of appeals.
  e.  The  commissioner  shall  also cause notice of such hearing, to be
published at least once, not more than 30 days nor fewer than  10  days,
in  newspapers  which  have  a general circulation in each county of the
state before the date set for such hearing.
  f. Upon completion of the public hearing, the commissioner shall pres-
ent his or her findings to the legislature no later than 60  days  after
the completion of the public hearing.
  S 2. This act shall take effect immediately.