Senate Bill S9925

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   9925
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              April 16, 2026
                                ___________
 
 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 establish a temporary commission to study music and performing
   arts education programs in New York state correctional facilities; and
   providing for the repeal of such provisions upon the expiration there-
   of

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Legislative findings. Music and performing  arts  education
 programs  are proven to be effective at lowering the recidivism rates of
 incarcerated individuals. While the three-year recidivism  rate  in  New
 York  is  sixty  percent, participants in arts education programs have a
 recidivism rate of only three percent. Understanding how to expand music
 and performing arts education programs in state prisons will help ensure
 incarcerated individuals are able to become well integrated  members  of
 society  after  they  have served their sentences. This legislation will
 create a temporary state commission to study and make recommendations on
 how to expand music and performing arts education programs for youth and
 adults in New York state correctional facilities.
   § 2. (a) A temporary state  commission  is  hereby  created  to  study
 current  music  and performing arts education programs in New York state
 correctional facilities, and to make recommendations on  how  to  expand
 these  programs.  The commission shall study programs for both youth and
 adult incarcerated individuals.
   (b) 1. The commission shall consist of eleven members, to be appointed
 as follows: five members shall be appointed by the  governor,  of  which
 one  shall  be  from  the department of corrections and community super-
 vision, one shall be from the New York state council on the arts, and at
 least one shall be a formerly incarcerated individual; two members shall
 be appointed by the temporary president of the senate; two members shall
 be appointed by the  speaker  of  the  assembly;  one  member  shall  be
 appointed  by the minority leader of the senate; and one member shall be
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD15091-02-6
              

 S. 9925                             2
 
 appointed by the minority leader of the assembly. The  commission  shall
 elect a member to serve as chair.
   2.  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 under this act. The commis-
 sion may employ and at pleasure remove such personnel  as  it  may  deem
 necessary  for  the  performance  of its functions and fix their compen-
 sation within the amounts made available by appropriation therefor.
   (c) The commission may request and shall receive from  any  agency  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.
   (d) The report  shall  include  any  recommendations  for  legislative
 action  as  it may deem necessary and appropriate and shall be delivered
 to the governor, the temporary president of the senate, the  speaker  of
 the  assembly,  and  posted  on the website of the secretary of state no
 later than one year after the effective date of  this  act.  The  report
 shall also be posted on the website of the governor.
   §  3.  This  act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
 deemed repealed 2 years after such date.