Bill Text: NY A09702 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Prohibits the commissioner of corrections and community supervision from promulgating policy to require inmates to waive religious rights in order to participate in inmate programs.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 9-0)

Status: (Passed) 2020-10-07 - signed chap.211 [A09702 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A09702-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          9702

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                    February 6, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Correction

        AN  ACT  to  amend  the  correction  law, in relation to prohibiting the
          commissioner of corrections and community supervision from  promulgat-
          ing  policy  to  require inmates to waive religious rights in order to
          participate in inmate programs

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

     1    Section  1.  Section  112 of the correction law is amended by adding a
     2  new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
     3    5. (a) The commissioner shall not make or promulgate any policy and/or
     4  regulation requiring an inmate to waive any religious right,  including,
     5  but not limited to, daily prayer as a condition for participation in any
     6  inmate  program  including any such program developed and/or implemented
     7  pursuant to subdivision four of this section including, but not  limited
     8  to, the shock program and the industrial training program.
     9    (b)  Upon request, inmates shall be granted exemptions for activities,
    10  including  jobs,  that  coincide  with  the  Sabbath  and   other   work
    11  proscription days, including those set forth in the religious calendar.
    12    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.





         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14894-01-0