Assembly Bill A4953

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   4953
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                             February 10, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M. of A. GIBBS, GONZALEZ-ROJAS, HYNDMAN, KELLES, RAGA --
   Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. K. BROWN -- read once and  referred  to
   the Committee on Correction
 
 AN  ACT  to create a temporary state commission to study and investigate
   issues affecting reentry of  incarcerated  individuals  released  from
   correctional facilities; making an appropriation therefor; and provid-
   ing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. A temporary state commission, to be known as the  New  York
 state criminal justice commission on reentry (hereinafter "commission"),
 is  hereby  created  to study issues, including relevant statutes, regu-
 lations and existing programs involving reentry  and  re-integration  of
 incarcerated  individuals  released  from  state  and local correctional
 facilities. The commission shall investigate  all  factors  that  impede
 successful  re-integration  into  society  and  obviate the concept of a
 second chance.   The commission shall analyze  the  impact  of  existing
 policies  on successful reentry, identify specific obstacles to re-inte-
 gration and compare policies of this state to those of other states  and
 the federal government. The commission shall collect data from state and
 federal  agencies  and  may analyze any current research deemed relevant
 and appropriate.
   § 2. a. The commission shall consist of eighteen members  as  follows:
 three  members  shall be appointed by the speaker of the assembly; three
 members shall be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; two
 members shall be appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and two
 members shall be appointed by  the  minority  leader  of  the  assembly.
 Members  so appointed shall be representative of community based provid-
 ers of employment, education, housing and other services needed by indi-
 viduals returning to society from prison,  criminal  justice  advocates,
 and academic professionals in the field of criminal justice. The remain-
 ing  members shall be the heads of the following departments or agencies
 or their respective designees: the department of corrections and  commu-
 nity supervision, the department of criminal justice services, the divi-
 
              

  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD00801-01-5
 A. 4953                             2
 
 sion  of  housing  and  community  renewal, the department of labor, the
 department of education, the office of addiction services and  supports,
 the  office  of probation and correctional alternatives and the division
 of  parole.  No  person  shall be a member of such commission while such
 person is a member of the  senate  or  assembly.  Any  vacancy  on  such
 commission  shall  be filled in the same manner as the original appoint-
 ment was made. The chairperson of the commission shall be  the  head  or
 designee  of  the division of criminal justice services. The vice-chair-
 person of the commission shall be a representative of one of the  commu-
 nity-based organizations and appointed by the chairperson.
   b.  Except  as  provided  in subdivision a of this section, no member,
 officer or employee of the commission shall be disqualified from holding
 any other public office or employment, nor shall they forfeit  any  such
 office  or employment by reason of their appointment hereunder, notwith-
 standing the provisions of any general, special or local law,  ordinance
 or city charter.
   §  3.  The members of the commission shall receive no compensation for
 their services, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses
 incurred in the performance of their duties hereunder.
   § 4. The commission may employ and at pleasure remove  such  personnel
 as  it  may  deem necessary for the performance of its functions and fix
 their compensation within the amounts made  available  by  appropriation
 therefor.
   §  5.  For the accomplishment of its purposes, the commission shall be
 authorized and empowered to undertake any studies, inquiries, surveys or
 analyses it may deem relevant through its own personnel  or  in  cooper-
 ation with or by agreement with any other public or private agency. Such
 commission shall meet and hold public hearings or private meetings with-
 in  or without the state, and shall have all the powers of a legislative
 committee pursuant to the legislative law.
   § 6. The commission may request and shall receive from  any  court  in
 the  state  and from any subdivision, department, board, bureau, commis-
 sion, office, agency or other instrumentality of the  state  or  of  any
 political subdivision thereof such facilities, assistance and data as it
 deems  necessary or desirable for the proper execution of its powers and
 duties and to effectuate the purposes set forth in this act.
   § 7. The commission shall make a report of its findings, including any
 recommendations for legislative action as  it  may  deem  necessary  and
 appropriate, to the governor and the legislature no later than the thir-
 ty-first  of December in the year next succeeding the year in which this
 act shall have become a law.
   § 8. The sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars  ($250,000)  or  so
 much  thereof  as  may be deemed necessary is hereby appropriated out of
 any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund to  the  credit  of
 the state purposes account for services and expenses of the state crimi-
 nal  justice commission on reentry, not otherwise appropriated, and made
 immediately available for the purposes of carrying out the provisions of
 this act.  Such moneys shall be payable on the audit and warrant of  the
 comptroller on vouchers certified or approved by the chair of the tempo-
 rary commission established by this act.
   § 9. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire the thir-
 ty-first  of  December  next  succeeding the year in which it shall have
 become a law when upon such date the provisions of  this  act  shall  be
 deemed repealed.