NY State Senate Bill 2025-S6222

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

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Date of Action	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 06, 2025	referred to finance

co-Sponsors

2025-S6222 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A6990
Current Committee:: Senate Finance
Law Section:: Appropriations
Laws Affected:: Add §12, Cor L; add §99-ss, St Fin L

2025-S6222 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Establishes the reentry assistance program; provides for eligible incarcerated individuals to receive a monthly stipend upon release from a state correctional facility; makes an appropriation of $25,000,000.

2025-S6222 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6222

SPONSOR: COONEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the correction law and the state finance law, in
relation to providing for money upon release for certain incarcerated
individuals; and making an appropriation therefor

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

The purpose of the bill is to provide people being released from state
correctional facilities the resources needed to reestablish themselves
by giving a stipend to purchase to food, clothes, housing, transporta-
tion, and anything necessary to secure employment in the first six
months post-release.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends the correction law by adding a new section 12 to
establish the "Reentry Assistance Program", define eligibility as those
being released from a state correctional facility after at least six

months who have never received money from this program, sets the minimum
and maximum amounts someone can receive from the program which are to be
adjusted for inflation, and gives the Commissioner of the Department of
Corrections and Community Supervision the authority to promulgate rules
and regulations to establish the program.

Section 2. Amends the state finance law is amended by adding a new
section 99- rr to establish the "Reentry Assistance Program" in the
custody of theNYS Comptroller and Commissioner of Tax and Finance and
makes the fund available to the Department of Corrections and Community
Supervision for stipends pursuant to the new Section 12 of the
corrections law.

Section 3. Appropriates twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000) to the
Reentry Assistance Program Fund from the general fund.

Section 4. Sets that this act shall take effect on the one hundred
eightieth day after it shall have become a law.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Nearly 9,000 people will reenter society from New York's prisons this
year. Experts often say the first 72 hours after release are critical to
determining whether a formerly incarcerated individual's path will lead
away from prison or make a sharp U-turn. Nearly 50% of returning New
Yorkers will face housing instability. More than 33% will struggle to
find even part-time employment. Around 50% of New Yorkers are reincar-
cerated within three years of release.

Returning individuals face a tough transition to the community. Often
with few financial resources, they must address their day-to-day needs
of food, clothing, and housing; obtain identification and access to
medical care; find employment and reconnect with family.

The Reentry Assistance Program will help address these issues with
reentry by providing people released from state correctional facilities
with up to $2,550 over six months, with the first month's stipend being
due immediately upon release, to help cover fundamental needs such as
food, housing costs, court-related debts, and preparation for employ-
ment. Crucially, these funds will no longer be deducted from the indi-
vidual's incarcerated individual account, as is currently the practice.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2024 A9115 - referred to correction

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:

$25,000,000 appropriated from the state's general fund to the Reentry
Assistance Program

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:

This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law.

2025-S6222 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6222
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                               March 6, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  COONEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
 AN ACT to amend the  correction  law  and  the  state  finance  law,  in
   relation  to providing for money upon release for certain incarcerated
   individuals; and making an appropriation therefor

   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 12 to
 read as follows:
   §  12.  REENTRY  ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM.  1. AS USED IN THIS SECTION, THE
 FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
   (A) "PROGRAM" MEANS THE REENTRY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ESTABLISHED  PURSU-
 ANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION.
   (B)  "ELIGIBLE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL" MEANS AN INCARCERATED INDIVID-
 UAL WHO IS RELEASED FROM A STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY AFTER  SERVING  A
 MINIMUM  OF  SIX  MONTHS  WHO HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED MONEY FROM THE
 PROGRAM.
   2. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL DEVELOP A REENTRY  ASSISTANCE  PROGRAM  THAT
 PROVIDES  FOR  ELIGIBLE  INCARCERATED  INDIVIDUALS  TO RECEIVE A MONTHLY
 STIPEND UPON RELEASE FROM A STATE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY.
   3. (A) STIPENDS PAID TO AN ELIGIBLE INCARCERATED  INDIVIDUAL  PURSUANT
 TO  THE  PROGRAM  SHALL BE NO LESS THAN FOUR HUNDRED TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS
 PER MONTH FOR A PERIOD OF UP TO  SIX  MONTHS.    THE  MAXIMUM  AGGREGATE
 AMOUNT  ANY  INDIVIDUAL  SHALL  RECEIVE FROM THE PROGRAM IS TWO THOUSAND
 FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS.
   (B) THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS IN PARAGRAPH (A) OF THIS SUBDIVISION  SHALL  BE
 ADJUSTED  ANNUALLY  FOR INFLATION AS DETERMINED FROM THE INCREASE IN THE
 CONSUMER PRICE INDEX IN THE ONE YEAR PERIOD ENDING ON THE MARCH  THIRTY-
 FIRST  PRIOR  TO  THE COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT EFFECTIVE ON THE ENSUING
 SEPTEMBER FIRST.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD10681-01-5
 S. 6222                             2

 
   4. (A) THE INITIAL PAYMENT OF A PROGRAM STIPEND SHALL  BE  MADE  IMME-
 DIATELY UPON RELEASE OF THE ELIGIBLE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL IN THE FORM
 OF  CASH  OR  A  CHECK. SUCH PROGRAM STIPEND SHALL BE IN ADDITION TO ANY
 OTHER FUNDS TO BE PAID OR RETURNED TO SUCH INDIVIDUAL.
   (B)  SUBSEQUENT PROGRAM STIPEND PAYMENTS SHALL BE MADE ON THE FIRST OF
 EACH MONTH BY THE COMMUNITY  SUPERVISION  AGENCY  RESPONSIBLE  FOR  SUCH
 INDIVIDUAL.
   5.  THE  PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION SHALL NOT APPLY TO AN INCARCERATED
 INDIVIDUAL WHO IS RELEASED TO THE CUSTODY OF ANOTHER STATE OR THE FEDER-
 AL GOVERNMENT.
   6. STIPEND PAYMENTS PAID PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS  OF  THIS  SECTION
 SHALL  NOT  BE  TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN DETERMINING ELIGIBILITY OR
 CALCULATING THE AMOUNT OF BENEFITS FOR ANY PUBLIC ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
   7. THE DEPARTMENT SHALL COLLECT DATA ON  THE  NUMBER  OF  INCARCERATED
 INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM AND ISSUE A REPORT ON SUCH DATA
 TO  THE  GOVERNOR, THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER
 OF THE ASSEMBLY ANNUALLY.
   8. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL PROMULGATE ANY RULES AND REGULATIONS  NECES-
 SARY FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS SECTION.
   § 2. The state finance law is amended by adding a new section 99-ss to
 read as follows:
   § 99-SS. REENTRY ASSISTANCE FUND. 1. A SPECIAL FUND TO BE KNOWN AS THE
 "REENTRY  ASSISTANCE  FUND"  IS HEREBY ESTABLISHED IN THE CUSTODY OF THE
 STATE COMPTROLLER AND THE COMMISSIONER OF TAXATION AND FINANCE.
   2. THE FUND SHALL CONSIST OF ALL  MONIES  APPROPRIATED,  CREDITED,  OR
 TRANSFERRED  TO  SUCH  FUND  PURSUANT TO LAW, ALL MONIES REQUIRED BY ANY
 PROVISION OF LAW TO BE PAID INTO OR CREDITED TO THE FUND AND ANY  INTER-
 EST EARNINGS WHICH MAY ACCRUE FROM THE INVESTMENT OF MONIES IN THE FUND.
 NOTHING CONTAINED IN THIS SECTION SHALL PREVENT THE STATE FROM RECEIVING
 GRANTS,  GIFTS  OR  BEQUESTS  FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE FUND AS DEFINED IN
 THIS SECTION AND DEPOSITING THEM IN THE FUND ACCORDING TO LAW.
   3. MONIES OF THE FUND, WHEN  ALLOCATED,  SHALL  BE  AVAILABLE  TO  THE
 DEPARTMENT  OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION TO PROVIDE STIPENDS
 PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION TWELVE OF THE CORRECTION LAW.
   4. MONIES SHALL BE PAYABLE FROM THE FUND ON THE AUDIT AND  WARRANT  OF
 THE  COMPTROLLER  ON VOUCHERS APPROVED AND CERTIFIED BY THE COMMISSIONER
 OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY SUPERVISION.
   § 3. The sum of twenty-five million dollars  ($25,000,000)  is  hereby
 appropriated  from  any moneys in the state treasury in the general fund
 to the credit of the reentry assistance  fund  established  pursuant  to
 section 99-ss of the state finance law in carrying out the provisions of
 this  act.    Such  sum shall be payable on the audit and warrant of the
 state comptroller on  vouchers  certified  or  approved  in  the  manner
 provided by law.
   § 4. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
 it shall have become a law.  Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
 tation  of  this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
 completed on or before such effective date.

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Senate Bill S6222

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

Actions

co-Sponsors

2025-S6222 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S6222 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S6222 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S6222 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

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Sponsored By

Jeremy Cooney

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Finance Committee

Actions

co-Sponsors

Cordell Cleare

Leroy Comrie

2025-S6222 (ACTIVE) - Details

2025-S6222 (ACTIVE) - Summary

2025-S6222 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S6222 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments