NY State Senate Bill 2025-S6481

Senate Bill S6481

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to commencing a study on the relationship between the corrections system and the child welfare system

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Children And Families 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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Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
May 13, 2025	reported and committed to children and families
Mar 14, 2025	referred to crime victims, crime and correction

Votes

- May 13, 2025 - Crime Victims, Crime And Correction Committee Vote
  S6481
  
  6
  
  Aye
  
  0
  
  Nay
  
  1
  
  Aye with Reservations
  
  0
  
  Absent
  
  0
  
  Excused
  
  0
  
  Abstained
  - - Crime Victims, Crime And Correction Committee Vote: May 13, 2025
      
      aye (6)
      
      Bailey
      
      Harckham
      
      Rivera
      
      Rolison
      
      Salazar
      
      Sepúlveda
      
      aye wr (1)
      
      Murray

2025-S6481 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Children And Families
Law Section:: Correction Law
Laws Affected:: Add §30, Cor L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S9063
2023-2024: S1771

2025-S6481 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to commencing a study on the relationship between the corrections system and the child welfare system.

2025-S6481 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S6481

SPONSOR: CLEARE
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the correction law, in relation to commencing a study on
the relationship between the corrections system and the child welfare
system

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To conduct a study on the relationship between the corrections systems
and the child welfare system by enabling data collection on inmates.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1: The correction law is amended by adding a new section 30 as
follows. The Commissioner shall conduct a comprehensive study on an
inmate's prior involvement with child welfare and juvenile systems.

Section 2: The Commissioner shall conduct surveys on current inmates in
state, county, and municipal correctional families based on a random

sample not less than ten percent of all state, county, and municipal
correctional facilities.

Section 3: The Commissioner shall ensure the confidentiality of each
survey participant by using self-administered questionnaires and other
similar survey methods.

Section 4: An inmate shall be deemed to have given his or her informed
consent only if he or she is informed in writing of the potential risks
and benefits of the study.

Section 5: The Commissioner shall make a written report on the relation-
ship between the corrections system and the child welfare system to the
governor, temporary president of the Senate and the speaker of the
Assembly of its findings, conclusions, and recommendations on or before
June thirtieth of the year.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Anecdotal data suggest that large numbers of incarcerated individuals
have histories with child welfare and/or juvenile systems. However, New
York State does not currently collect or track the relationship between
the corrections systems and the child welfare system. This bill would
require the New York State Department of Corrections and Community
Supervision (DOCCS) to conduct a study on current inmates in order to
produce a report on an inmate's prior involvement with the child welfare
system and/or the juvenile system. Such reports would include, but not
limited to: the inmate's previous placement in out-of-home care, speci-
fying type of placement, the approximate length of such period of place-
ment, the age of the inmate during such period of placement, the ethnic
background or the inmate, and the inmate's gender. The Commissioner of
DOCCS will conduct surveys on a random sample of not less than ten
percent of current inmates in all state, county, and municipal correc-
tional facilities. This study will ensure the confidentiality of each
survey participant by using self-administered questionnaires, which will
ensure the respondent's anonymity. Lastly, based on the survey results,

the Commissioner will report to the Governor and the Legislature on the
findings and recommendations of the study.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2019-20: A02205

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have
become a law.

2025-S6481 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6481
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              March 14, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  CLEARE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims,  Crime  and
   Correction
 
 AN ACT to amend the correction law, in relation to commencing a study on
   the  relationship between the corrections system and the child welfare
   system

   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 30 to
 read as follows:
   § 30. INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL STUDY. 1. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CONDUCT
 A  COMPREHENSIVE  STUDY  ON  INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS' PRIOR INVOLVEMENT
 WITH CHILD WELFARE AND JUVENILE SYSTEMS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
   (A) PREVIOUS PLACEMENT IN OUT-OF-HOME CARE, SPECIFYING TYPE OF  PLACE-
 MENT:  FOSTER  CARE,  KINSHIP  FOSTER CARE, SECURE DETENTION FACILITIES,
 NON-SECURE DETENTION FACILITIES, GROUP HOMES OR OTHER  AUTHORIZED  AGEN-
 CIES  OR  FACILITIES  OPERATED OR LICENSED BY THE OFFICE OF CHILDREN AND
 FAMILY SERVICES;
   (B) THE APPROXIMATE LENGTH OF SUCH PERIOD OF PLACEMENT;
   (C) THE AGE OF THE  INCARCERATED  INDIVIDUAL  DURING  SUCH  PERIOD  OF
 PLACEMENT;
   (D) THE ETHNIC BACKGROUND OF THE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL; AND
   (E) THE INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL'S GENDER.
   2.  AS  PART  OF  THE  STUDY THE COMMISSIONER SHALL CONDUCT SURVEYS ON
 CURRENT INCARCERATED INDIVIDUALS IN STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL CORREC-
 TIONAL FACILITIES.  THE SURVEY SHALL BE BASED  ON  A  RANDOM  SAMPLE  OR
 OTHER  SCIENTIFICALLY APPROPRIATE SAMPLE OF NOT LESS THAN TEN PERCENT OF
 ALL STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.
   3. THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ENSURE THE CONFIDENTIALITY  OF  EACH  SURVEY
 PARTICIPANT  BY USING SELF-ADMINISTERED QUESTIONNAIRES AND OTHER SIMILAR
 SURVEY METHODS, WHICH WILL ENSURE THE RESPONDENT'S ANONYMITY.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD09022-01-5

 S. 6481                             2
 
   4. AN INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL SHALL BE  DEEMED  TO  HAVE  GIVEN  THEIR
 INFORMED  CONSENT  ONLY  IF  SUCH INCARCERATED INDIVIDUAL IS INFORMED IN
 WRITING OF THE POTENTIAL RISKS AND BENEFITS OF THE STUDY.
   5.  THE  COMMISSIONER  SHALL MAKE A WRITTEN REPORT ON THE RELATIONSHIP
 BETWEEN THE CORRECTIONS SYSTEM AND  THE  CHILD  WELFARE  SYSTEM  TO  THE
 GOVERNOR,  TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY
 OF ITS FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON OR BEFORE JUNE THIR-
 TIETH OF THE YEAR NEXT SUCCEEDING THE YEAR  IN  WHICH  THIS  SUBDIVISION
 SHALL TAKE EFFECT.
   §  2.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
 have become a law.

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