Bill Text: NY A04867 | 2023-2024 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Relates to claims for unjust conviction and imprisonment and the availability of certain benefits and entitlements to exonerees; allows for sealing of records, payment of awards and payment of attorney's fees; repeals certain provisions relating thereto.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 22-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-03 - referred to ways and means [A04867 Detail]

Download: New_York-2023-A04867-Amended.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                         4867--A

                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 24, 2023
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. KELLES, KIM, ZEBROWSKI, WEPRIN, SEAWRIGHT, SIMON,
          STECK,  JOYNER, DINOWITZ, LAVINE, REYES, ARDILA, CRUZ, SHIMSKY, ZINER-
          MAN, LEVENBERG, AUBRY, EPSTEIN,  GIBBS,  SILLITTI  --  read  once  and
          referred to the Committee on Judiciary -- reported and referred to the
          Committee  on  Codes -- reported and referred to the Committee on Ways
          and Means -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted  as
          amended and recommitted to said committee

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the court of claims act, the public housing law, the
          correction law, and the civil service law, in relation to  the  avail-
          ability  of  certain  benefits  to  exonerees;  and  to repeal certain
          provisions of the court of claims act relating thereto

          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Section 8-b of the court of claims act is amended by adding
     2  a new subdivision 1-a to read as follows:
     3    1-a.  When  used  in  this  section,  unless otherwise required by the
     4  context, or unless a  contrary  intent  is  expressly  declared  in  the
     5  provision to be construed, the term "exoneree" shall mean any person who
     6  has  been granted a judgment in a claim for unjust conviction and impri-
     7  sonment under this section.
     8    § 2. Subparagraphs (i) and (ii) of paragraph (b) of subdivision  5  of
     9  section  8-b of the court of claims act, as added by chapter 1009 of the
    10  laws of 1984, are amended to read as follows:
    11    (i) [he has] they have been pardoned upon the ground of  innocence  of
    12  the crime or crimes for which [he was] they were sentenced and which are
    13  the  grounds  for  the  complaint;  or  (ii)  [his]  their  judgment  of
    14  conviction was  reversed  or  vacated,  and  the  accusatory  instrument
    15  dismissed  or,  if  a  new  trial was ordered, either [he was] they were
    16  found not guilty at the new trial or [he was] they were not retried  and
    17  the  accusatory  instrument  dismissed;  provided  that the judgement of
    18  conviction was reversed or vacated, and the  accusatory  instrument  was

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD07170-02-3

        A. 4867--A                          2

     1  dismissed,  on  any  of  the following grounds: (A) [paragraph (a), (b),
     2  (c), (e) or (g) of] subdivision one of section 440.10  of  the  criminal
     3  procedure  law;  or  (B)  subdivision [one (where based upon grounds set
     4  forth  in  item  (A) hereof),] two, three (where the count dismissed was
     5  the sole basis for the imprisonment complained of) or  five  of  section
     6  470.20  of  the  criminal procedure law; or (C) comparable provisions of
     7  the former code of criminal procedure or  subsequent  law;  or  (D)  the
     8  statute,  or application thereof, on which the accusatory instrument was
     9  based violated the constitution of the United States or the state of New
    10  York; and
    11    § 3. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 5 of section 8-b  of  the  court  of
    12  claims  act, as added by chapter 1009 of the laws of 1984, is amended to
    13  read as follows:
    14    (c) [he] they did not commit any of the acts [charged in the accusato-
    15  ry instrument] for which they were convicted  or  [his]  their  acts  or
    16  omissions  charged  in  the  accusatory  instrument did not constitute a
    17  felony or misdemeanor against the state; and
    18    § 4. Paragraph (d) of subdivision 5 of section 8-b  of  the  court  of
    19  claims  act, as added by chapter 1009 of the laws of 1984, is amended to
    20  read as follows:
    21    (d) [he] they did not by [his] their own [conduct] misconduct cause or
    22  bring about [his] their conviction.  For purposes of this subdivision, a
    23  confession, admission or plea of guilty made or entered by the  claimant
    24  may  not  be  considered  evidence of misconduct unless such confession,
    25  admission or plea of guilty was made or entered knowingly,  voluntarily,
    26  without duress and with the intent to prevent the investigation or pros-
    27  ecution:  (i)  of  the  claimant  for  a crime unrelated to the crime or
    28  crimes that were the subject of such confession, admission  or  plea  of
    29  guilty;  or (ii) of another person who the claimant, at the time of such
    30  confession, admission or plea, believed to be  the  perpetrator  of  the
    31  crime  or  crimes that were the subject of such confession, admission or
    32  plea.
    33    § 5. Subdivision 7 of section 8-b  of  the  court  of  claims  act  is
    34  REPEALED.
    35    § 6. Subdivision 6 of section 8-b of the court of claims act, as added
    36  by chapter 1009 of the laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
    37    6.  If the court finds that the claimant is entitled to a judgment, it
    38  shall award damages in such sum of money as the  court  determines  will
    39  fairly  and reasonably compensate [him] them, as well as any benefits to
    40  which the claimant is entitled under this section.
    41    § 7. Section 8-b of the court of claims act is amended by  adding  ten
    42  new  subdivisions  7,  8,  9,  10,  11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 to read as
    43  follows:
    44    7. Any exoneree shall  be  entitled  to  have  all  records  of  their
    45  conviction  sealed  pursuant to section 160.50 of the criminal procedure
    46  law.
    47    8. No benefits paid pursuant to this article shall be considered gross
    48  income as defined in section six hundred twelve  of  the  tax  law,  nor
    49  shall they be taxable by any entity.
    50    9.  No  benefits paid pursuant to this article shall be reduced by any
    51  amount to compensate the state for the costs of incarcerating the  exon-
    52  eree.
    53    10.  A  person  who properly presents a claim pursuant to subdivisions
    54  three and four of this section shall be entitled to receive a payment of
    55  ten thousand dollars per month from the state for each month between the
    56  time a claim is filed and  the  final  judgment  is  recorded,  provided

        A. 4867--A                          3

     1  however  that  on motion of the attorney general the court may stay such
     2  payment on the grounds that such claim is frivolous, that  the  claimant
     3  is  unlikely  to  prevail  on the merits, or that the period of wrongful
     4  incarceration  was so short that significant damages and benefits should
     5  not be awarded.
     6    11. An exoneree found by the court to have served a period of wrongful
     7  incarceration of more than one year or to have  experienced  significant
     8  hardship resulting from such incarceration shall be ordered by the court
     9  to  be  enrolled  in  the  health  benefit  plan established pursuant to
    10  section one hundred sixty-one of the civil service law, the supplementa-
    11  ry health benefit plan  established  pursuant  to  section  one  hundred
    12  sixty-three-a  of  the  civil service law, and the dental insurance plan
    13  established pursuant to section one hundred sixty of the  civil  service
    14  law.  The full cost of premium or subscription charges for such coverage
    15  shall be paid by the state.
    16    12. The exoneree shall  be  entitled  to  reasonable  attorney's  fees
    17  incurred  in  the  process of vacating or reversing the judgment against
    18  them. The exoneree shall petition the court of claims in seeking reason-
    19  able attorney's fees as against the state. Any award of attorney's  fees
    20  shall be reimbursable by the state.
    21    13.  An exoneree who enrolls at any institution of the city university
    22  of New York or any institution of the state university of New York shall
    23  be eligible for a tuition award  in  an  amount  equal  to  the  tuition
    24  charged at such institution, the mandatory fees charged at such institu-
    25  tion  and  the  non-tuition  cost  of  attendance at such institution or
    26  college, provided that the scholarship shall not exceed an  amount  that
    27  is equal to the total cost of attendance determined for federal Title IV
    28  student financial aid purposes.
    29    14.  Any and all benefits made available to parolees through the divi-
    30  sion of parole shall also be made available to  exonerees.    Any  state
    31  contract  with  a  service  provider  for parolees must also require the
    32  service provider to also serve exonerees.
    33    15. Nothing in this act shall be construed to prevent an exoneree from
    34  pursuing further civil lawsuits against any state agencies or  employees
    35  for any reason, including in connection with the wrongful conviction.
    36    16. (a) Any person claiming compensation and additional benefits under
    37  this  section  based on a pardon that was granted on or after the effec-
    38  tive date of this subdivision or the dismissal of an accusatory  instru-
    39  ment  that  occurred  on or after the effective date of this subdivision
    40  shall file their claim within three years after the pardon or dismissal.
    41    (b) Any person who obtained a judgment under this section prior to the
    42  effective date may file for additional benefits under this section with-
    43  in two years after such effective date.
    44    (c) Any person whose claim was dismissed prior to the  effective  date
    45  of this section on the grounds that the claim did not satisfy clause (A)
    46  or (B) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (b) of subdivision five of this
    47  section may refile their claim under this section within two years after
    48  the effective date of this subdivision.
    49    (d) Any person who did not previously file a claim because their claim
    50  did  not satisfy clause (A) or (B) of subparagraph (ii) of paragraph (b)
    51  of subdivision five of this section and is barred by the existing  stat-
    52  ute  of  limitations, may file their claim under this section within two
    53  years after the effective date of this subdivision.
    54    § 8. Subdivision 1 of section 156 of the public housing law is amended
    55  by adding a new paragraph c to read as follows:

        A. 4867--A                          4

     1    c. also for any exoneree as defined in subdivision  one-a  of  section
     2  eight-b  of  the  court of claims act. Any benefits due to such exoneree
     3  shall not be included in the calculation of  probable  aggregate  income
     4  used  to  determine  eligibility for these dwellings. Exonerees shall be
     5  assigned  the  highest  need-based  priority for placement in a dwelling
     6  unit.
     7    § 9. Subdivision 4 of section 404 of the correction law, as amended by
     8  chapter 322 of the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
     9    4. Every incarcerated individual who has received mental health treat-
    10  ment pursuant to this article within three years of [his or  her]  their
    11  anticipated  release  date  from a state correctional facility and every
    12  exoneree, as defined in subdivision one-a  of  section  eight-b  of  the
    13  court  of  claims  act,  shall  be provided with mental health discharge
    14  planning and, when  necessary,  an  appointment  with  a  mental  health
    15  professional  in  the  community who can prescribe medications following
    16  discharge and sufficient mental health medications and prescriptions  to
    17  bridge  the period between discharge and such time as such mental health
    18  professional may assume care of the  patient.  Incarcerated  individuals
    19  who  have  refused  mental  health treatment may also be provided mental
    20  health discharge planning and any necessary appointment  with  a  mental
    21  health professional.
    22    §  10.  Subdivision  2  of  section  163  of the civil service law, as
    23  amended by section 6 of part S of chapter 57 of the  laws  of  2023,  is
    24  amended to read as follows:
    25    2.  The  contract  or  contracts shall provide for health benefits for
    26  retired employees of the state and of the state colleges of agriculture,
    27  home economics, industrial labor relations and veterinary medicine,  the
    28  state  agricultural experiment station at Geneva, and any other institu-
    29  tion or agency under the management and control of Cornell university as
    30  the representative of the board of trustees of the state  university  of
    31  New  York,  and  the  state college of ceramics under the management and
    32  control of Alfred university as the representative of the board of trus-
    33  tees of the state university of New York, and their spouses and  depend-
    34  ent children as defined by the regulations of the president, and exoner-
    35  ees  as  defined in subdivision one-a of section eight-b of the court of
    36  claims act, on such terms as the president may deem appropriate, and the
    37  president may authorize the inclusion in the plan of the  employees  and
    38  retired  employees  of  public authorities, public benefit corporations,
    39  school districts, special districts,  district  corporations,  municipal
    40  corporations  excluding active employees and retired employees of cities
    41  having a population of one million or  more  inhabitants  whose  compen-
    42  sation  is  or  was  before retirement paid out of the city treasury, or
    43  other appropriate agencies, subdivisions or  quasi-public  organizations
    44  of  the  state, including active members of volunteer fire and volunteer
    45  ambulance companies serving one or more municipal corporations  pursuant
    46  to  subdivision  seven  of section ninety-two-a of the general municipal
    47  law, and their spouses and dependent children as defined  by  the  regu-
    48  lations  of  the president. Notwithstanding any law or regulation to the
    49  contrary, active members of volunteer ambulance companies serving one or
    50  more municipal corporations pursuant to  subdivision  seven  of  section
    51  ninety-two-a  of  the general municipal law shall be eligible for health
    52  benefits regardless of the amount of funds derived from public  sources.
    53  Any  such  corporation,  district,  agency  or  organization electing to
    54  participate in the plan shall be required to pay its proportionate share
    55  of the expenses of administration of the plan in  such  amounts  and  at
    56  such times as determined and fixed by the president. All amounts payable

        A. 4867--A                          5

     1  for such expenses of administration shall be paid to the commissioner of
     2  taxation  and finance and shall be applied to the reimbursement of funds
     3  previously advanced for such purposes.  Neither the state nor any  other
     4  participant  in the plan shall be charged with the particular experience
     5  attributable to the employees of the participant, and all  dividends  or
     6  retroactive  rate  credits  shall be distributed pro-rata based upon the
     7  number of employees of such participant covered by the plan.
     8    § 11. This act shall take effect immediately and, except as  otherwise
     9  expressly  provided  in  this  act,  shall  apply to convictions entered
    10  before, on or after such effective date.
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