S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
4603
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
February 4, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN, WALKER, EPSTEIN, REYES, CRUZ, HUNTER,
TAYLOR, BURDICK, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, JACKSON, BARRETT, GIBBS, DAVILA,
KELLES, SIMONE, SEPTIMO, TAPIA, BURKE, CUNNINGHAM, CLARK, MEEKS, SHIM-
SKY, HEVESI, DINOWITZ, MAMDANI, SIMON, ZACCARO, ANDERSON,
BICHOTTE HERMELYN, LEVENBERG, BORES, ROSENTHAL, GALLAGHER,
CHANDLER-WATERMAN, HYNDMAN, SEAWRIGHT, SHRESTHA, FORREST, MITAYNES,
ZINERMAN, RAGA, PAULIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on
Correction
AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to the establishment of
visiting policies for incarcerated individuals
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The correction law is amended by adding a new section 138-b
to read as follows:
§ 138-B. VISITING POLICIES FOR THE INCARCERATED. 1. STATE AND LOCAL
CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES SHALL ESTABLISH VISITING POLICIES WHICH GIVE
INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS OPPORTUNITIES FOR IN-PERSON CONTACT WITH THEIR
RELATIVES, CHILDREN, FRIENDS, CLERGY, VOLUNTEERS AND OTHER PERSONS TO
PROMOTE INDIVIDUAL TRANSFORMATION, BETTER INSTITUTIONAL ADJUSTMENT AND
BETTER COMMUNITY ADJUSTMENT UPON RELEASE. SUCH PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE,
BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, (A) VISITING HOURS THAT ARE REASONABLY LIKELY TO
ACCOMMODATE PERSONS TRAVELING FROM WITHIN THE STATE, INCLUDING EVENING
HOURS STARTING AT SIX O'CLOCK P.M. AND/OR WEEKEND HOURS, (B) VISITS OF
SUFFICIENT DURATION, INCLUDING A MINIMUM OF ONE HOUR AT LOCAL CORREC-
TIONAL FACILITIES SO THAT VISITORS AND INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS WILL BE
ABLE TO MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIP BONDS, AND (C) A PUBLISHED OVERCROWDING
POLICY THAT IS EQUITABLE WITH DUE CONSIDERATION TO THE DISTANCE TRAVELED
BY THE VISITOR, THE FREQUENCY OF THE VISITOR'S VISITS, THE MOST RECENT
OCCASION THAT THE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL'S VISIT WAS TERMINATED DUE TO
OVERCROWDING, AND ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LIMIT IN-PER-
SON VISITS BETWEEN THE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS AND THE VISITOR.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07456-01-5