Bill Text: NY S00555 | 2017-2018 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Enacts "Renee's Law"; directs the commissioner of children and family services to provide training to all employees of programs and facilities in which youths are placed or committed; grants access to office of children and family services' records, juvenile delinquency records, youthful offender records and juvenile offender records of youths placed or committed to a facility, to staff members and employees who are exposed to such youths and to foster parents who take custody of such person after his or her release; grants courts and attorneys access to such records in any proceeding for the commission of a crime while a youth is in the custody of the office of children and family services; prohibits the release, discharge or transfer of any youth who has engaged in criminal activity while in custody; requires the reporting to law enforcement authorities of criminal activity by a youth in the custody of the office of children and family services; requires a police officer to escort an employee sent to find a youth who is absent without authorization.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 8-0)

Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2018-06-20 - COMMITTED TO RULES [S00555 Detail]

Download: New_York-2017-S00555-Amended.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                         555--A
                               2017-2018 Regular Sessions
                    IN SENATE
                                       (Prefiled)
                                     January 4, 2017
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sens.  YOUNG,  DeFRANCISCO,  GALLIVAN,  HELMING, LARKIN,
          MARCHIONE, ORTT -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to
          be committed to the Committee on Children and Families --  recommitted
          to  the  Committee  on Children and Families in accordance with Senate
          Rule 6, sec. 8 -- reported favorably from said committee and committed
          to the Committee on Finance --  committee  discharged,  bill  amended,
          ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
        AN  ACT  to  amend the executive law, the family court act, the criminal
          procedure law and the judiciary law, in relation to enacting  "Renee's
          law"
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may  be  cited  as
     2  "Renee's law".
     3    §  2.  Legislative  findings  and  declaration. The legislature hereby
     4  finds and declares that it is a  fundamental  purpose  of  this  state's
     5  juvenile justice system to provide a safe environment for both the resi-
     6  dents  and  the  staff of programs licensed, certified and registered by
     7  the office of children and  family  services.  The  legislature  further
     8  finds  that a safe environment is ensured by providing staff of programs
     9  licensed, certified and registered by such office with adequate training
    10  and that this function is a primary responsibility of  the  commissioner
    11  of  children  and  family services to ensure. Ensuring the safety of the
    12  communities into which the youth are placed is paramount, requiring that
    13  a youth be placed in appropriate locations to avoid preventable tragedy.
    14  The legislature finds that residents of programs and agencies  licensed,
    15  certified  and  registered by the office of children and family services
    16  are committing serious crimes  within  such  programs,  and  that  these
    17  crimes  are not being reported to the proper authorities. The provisions
    18  of this act provide a critical framework to improve and maintain  safety
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD05932-02-8

        S. 555--A                           2
     1  within  such  licensed,  certified  and  registered programs, non-profit
     2  community based programs and communities throughout the  state  allowing
     3  youths  under  the  office of children and family services' jurisdiction
     4  the  ability to be rehabilitated and receive skills necessary to inhibit
     5  recidivism.
     6    § 3. Section 501 of the executive law is amended  by  adding  two  new
     7  subdivisions 7-a and 12-a to read as follows:
     8    7-a.  To  provide  for  the dissemination of records, files and papers
     9  pursuant to subdivision three of section  five  hundred  one-c  of  this
    10  title, paragraph one of subdivision (b) of section one hundred sixty-six
    11  of  the  family  court act, paragraph (a) of subdivision five of section
    12  720.35 of the criminal procedure law and paragraph  (a)  of  subdivision
    13  two of section 725.15 of the criminal procedure law.
    14    12-a.  To  establish and provide for the implementation of a course of
    15  training to be completed by all staff members and employees  responsible
    16  for  the care, custody, treatment, housing, education, rehabilitation or
    17  guidance of children in facilities  in  which  children  are  placed  or
    18  committed by the office of children and family services. The commission-
    19  er  of  such  office shall establish programs for preemployment training
    20  and in service staff development and training. All such  training  shall
    21  include instruction in child abuse and maltreatment prevention and iden-
    22  tification;  staff abuse prevention and identification; safety and secu-
    23  rity procedures; the principles of child development; the use  of  phys-
    24  ical  intervention; techniques of group and individual child management;
    25  gang awareness; absent without leave  procedures;  conflict  resolution;
    26  and the laws, rules and regulations governing the protection of children
    27  from  abuse  and  maltreatment.  Such commissioner shall ensure that all
    28  training conducted pursuant to this subdivision is evidence  based,  and
    29  evaluated  and  updated  on an annual basis.  The failure to provide the
    30  training required by this subdivision shall constitute neglect  of  duty
    31  for which the governor may remove the commissioner of children and fami-
    32  ly services from office.
    33    §  4.  Section  501-c  of the executive law is amended by adding a new
    34  subdivision 3 to read as follows:
    35    3. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision one of this  section,
    36  the  records  and  files including, but not limited to, unusual incident
    37  reports,  mental  health  and  developmental  disability  reports,   and
    38  progress  reports,  of  each  juvenile  delinquent, juvenile offender or
    39  youthful offender placed with or committed to the custody of the  office
    40  of children and family services shall be made available:
    41    (a)  to the staff members and employees of the facility, whether oper-
    42  ated by such office or not, in  which  the  delinquent  or  offender  is
    43  placed  or  committed,  when the staff member or employee is responsible
    44  for the care, custody, treatment, housing, education, rehabilitation  or
    45  guidance of the affected youth;
    46    (b)  in  the  event  such delinquent or offender engages in conduct or
    47  commits an act which would constitute a crime defined in the  penal  law
    48  if  the  youth was an adult or commits a crime defined in the penal law,
    49  to the court, the presentment  agency  or  district  attorney,  and  the
    50  attorney  representing  the youth upon the filing of charges against the
    51  youth relating to such crime; and
    52    (c) to any foster parents having custody of such delinquent or  offen-
    53  der  after release from the custody of the office of children and family
    54  services, excluding mental health and developmental disability reports.
    55    § 5. The executive law is amended by adding a  new  section  501-i  to
    56  read as follows:

        S. 555--A                           3
     1    §  501-i. Custody, control and discharge of detained youth. 1.  Place-
     2  ment. The office of children and family services shall place each  youth
     3  committed  to its custody upon the basis of such youth's risk assessment
     4  value as set forth in subdivision three of this section.  Provided, that
     5  no  youth  convicted  of or adjudicated as having committed a designated
     6  felony, or found to have committed two or more level C  rule  violations
     7  while  in  custody, or found to have committed four or more level B rule
     8  violations within the previous three months shall be  authorized  to  be
     9  placed  in  any  program  or facility that is not designated as a secure
    10  facility. Furthermore, no youth having a risk  level  of  III  shall  be
    11  placed in any program licensed, registered or certified by the office of
    12  children and family services which is not a secure facility.
    13    2.  Movement  to  lower level of custody. Prior to the movement of any
    14  youth to a lower level of custody, a risk assessment shall be  conducted
    15  for  such youth. Such assessment shall be completed by the staff charged
    16  with the daily care and custody of the youth. Upon completion of a  risk
    17  assessment  of  a youth, the facility or program which will receive such
    18  youth shall verify whether it meets the staffing requirements of  subdi-
    19  vision six of this section.
    20    3.  Risk assessment. The commissioner of children and family services,
    21  or his or her designee, shall establish a risk assessment value for each
    22  youth committed to the custody of the  office  of  children  and  family
    23  services.  The  risk  assessment value of each youth shall be derived by
    24  adding the youth's factors for facility rule violations to  his  or  her
    25  prior  offense  history, and subtracting therefrom his or her mitigating
    26  factors.
    27    (a) Facility rule factors shall be determined by:
    28    (i) the number of level B rule violations multiplied by two; and
    29    (ii) the number of level C rule violations multiplied by three.
    30    (b) Prior offense history factor shall be determined by:
    31    (i) the number of open or prior  juvenile  delinquency  determinations
    32  within  the  previous  three  years:  one  point per offense, but not to
    33  exceed three points;
    34    (ii) the number of offenses pending prosecution by the  county  attor-
    35  ney:  one point per offense, but not to exceed three points;
    36    (iii) a pending family court felony offense: four points;
    37    (iv)  a  pending  family  court  misdemeanor  offense:  one  point per
    38  offense, but not to exceed three points;
    39    (v) a past felony adjudication within the previous three  years:  five
    40  points;
    41    (vi)  two  or more misdemeanor adjudications within the previous three
    42  years: three points; and
    43    (vii) one misdemeanor adjudication within the  previous  three  years:
    44  one point.
    45    (c) Mitigating factor shall be determined by:
    46    (i) the lack of prior arrests or adjudications: one point;
    47    (ii)  not  being subject to a person in need of supervision proceeding
    48  within the previous three years: one point;
    49    (iii)  currently  actively  cooperating  in  counseling,   prevention,
    50  services or a program: one point.
    51    4.  Definitions. As used in this article:
    52    (a)  "Designated  felony"  shall mean and include any of the following
    53  felonies defined in the penal law: murder in the first degree, murder in
    54  the second degree, manslaughter in the first degree, manslaughter in the
    55  second degree, kidnapping in  the  first  degree,  arson  in  the  first
    56  degree,  assault  in the first degree, gang assault in the first degree,

        S. 555--A                           4
     1  arson in the second degree, robbery in the first degree, gang assault in
     2  the second degree, aggravated sexual abuse in the first degree, rape  in
     3  the  first  degree, criminal sexual act in the first degree, burglary in
     4  the first degree.
     5    (b)  "Designated  risk  level"  shall mean an assessment of each youth
     6  committed to the custody of the office of children and family  services,
     7  in  which,  in  light  of all available records, the number and types of
     8  offenses and rule violations committed by such youth while in  the  care
     9  and  custody  of  the  office of children and family services and in any
    10  program licensed, registered or certified by such office,  and  previous
    11  criminal  and  juvenile delinquency determinations, such youth is deter-
    12  mined to present a low, moderate or  high  risk  of  committing  another
    13  crime defined in the penal law or which would constitute such a crime if
    14  committed  by  an  adult,  or poses a threat to the safety of himself or
    15  herself or others.
    16    (i) "Risk level I" means a youth  has  a  low  risk  of  repeating  or
    17  committing additional offenses or rule violations, or poses no danger to
    18  public safety. A youth determined to have a risk level of I shall have a
    19  risk factor of three points or less.
    20    (ii) "Risk level II" means a youth has a moderate risk of repeating or
    21  committing  additional  offenses or rule violations, or poses a moderate
    22  threat to public safety. A youth determined to have a risk level  of  II
    23  shall have a risk factor of between four and eight points.
    24    (iii)  "Risk  level III" means a youth has a high risk of repeating or
    25  committing additional offenses or rule violations, or  poses  a  serious
    26  threat  to  public  safety. A youth determined to be a risk level of III
    27  shall have a risk factor of nine or more points.
    28    (c) "Egregious act" shall mean an act which  is  conspicuously  offen-
    29  sive, intentional or blatant.
    30    (d) "Persistent pattern" shall mean a course of conduct that is inten-
    31  tionally repetitive.
    32    5.  Rule violations. (a) A youth is guilty of a level B violation when
    33  he or she:
    34    (i) Attempts to, conspires to or acts as an  accessory  to  an  escape
    35  attempt from any facility, program or custody;
    36    (ii)  Withholds information about an attempted escape or absence with-
    37  out leave;
    38    (iii) Engages in any violent conduct involving the threat of violence;
    39    (iv) Practices or instructs others in martial arts, sparring  or  self
    40  defense techniques;
    41    (v) Engages in gang-related hand, verbal or written communication;
    42    (vi) Intentionally exposes the private parts of their bodies;
    43    (vii)  Makes  any  threat  verbally,  in  writing or by gesture to any
    44  person;
    45    (viii) Possesses unauthorized security-related equipment such as keys,
    46  vehicular keys, communication devices or restraint equipment;
    47    (ix) Makes, uses, possesses, sells  or  exchanges,  or  is  under  the
    48  influence of any alcoholic beverage or intoxicant;
    49    (x) Makes, uses, possesses, sells or exchanges, or is under the influ-
    50  ence of any narcotic, narcotic paraphernalia or controlled substance;
    51    (xi) Possesses outdated or unauthorized types or quantities of medica-
    52  tion;
    53    (xii)  Sells  outdated  or unauthorized types or quantities of medica-
    54  tion;

        S. 555--A                           5
     1    (xiii) Attempts to smuggle or attempts to solicit  others  to  smuggle
     2  any  item  into  or out of a facility or program or from one facility or
     3  program area to another;
     4    (xiv)  Engages in any verbal behavior which interferes with the secure
     5  and orderly operation of the facility;
     6    (xv) Engages in any verbal behavior which  may  result  in  injury  to
     7  staff or residents;
     8    (xvi)  Engages in any physical, persistent or egregious behavior which
     9  interferes with the secure and orderly operation of the facility;
    10    (xvii) Engages in any physical, persistent or egregious behavior which
    11  may result in injury to staff or residents;
    12    (xviii) Spits, urinates or defecates on the floor or any other area;
    13    (xix) Throws urine or feces or sanitary items;
    14    (xx) Fails to comply or otherwise disrupts facility and program  count
    15  procedures;
    16    (xxi)  Mutilates or defaces his or her body, or engages in the mutila-
    17  tion or defacement of another person's body; or
    18    (xxii) Engages in a persistent pattern of  infractions  and  fails  to
    19  respond  to  sanctions  previously imposed by an individual charged with
    20  such youth's care or custody.
    21    (b) A youth is guilty of a level C violation when he or she:
    22    (i) Commits or attempts to commit any offense  defined  in  the  penal
    23  law;
    24    (ii) Starts or attempts to start a fire, without authorization;
    25    (iii) Causes or attempts to cause an explosion;
    26    (iv)  Possesses  an explosive device or materials which can be used to
    27  make an explosive device;
    28    (v) Inflicts or attempts to inflict bodily harm upon another resident,
    29  a staff member or any other person;
    30    (vi) Engages in fighting;
    31    (vii) Conspires or takes any action which is intended to or results in
    32  the takeover of any area of a facility  or  program,  or,  acting  in  a
    33  group, engages in any violent conduct or conduct involving the threat of
    34  violence;
    35    (viii)  Engages  with  others  in  any  violent  conduct  or threat of
    36  violence;
    37    (ix) Leads, organizes or  urges  other  residents  to  participate  in
    38  actions detrimental to the order of a facility or program;
    39    (x)  Engages  in or encourages others to engage in unauthorized organ-
    40  izational activities or meetings;
    41    (xi) Displays, wears,  possesses,  distributes  or  uses  unauthorized
    42  organizational insignia or materials;
    43    (xii)  Makes,  possesses, sells, exchanges or uses any gun, firearm or
    44  ammunition, knife, razor, sharpened instrument, tool or other item clas-
    45  sified as a weapon by use or appearance;
    46    (xiii) Conspires to, is an accessory to or  commits  escape  from  any
    47  program  or custody, or withholds information about an escape or absence
    48  without leave;
    49    (xiv) Intentionally fails or attempts to fail to return at  or  before
    50  the time prescribed for his or her return;
    51    (xv)  Engages  in, encourages, solicits or attempts to force others to
    52  engage in sexual acts or gestures;
    53    (xvi) Tampers with or threatens witnesses or informants in any  inves-
    54  tigation; or
    55    (xvii)  Possesses  tools, culinary instruments or other items that may
    56  be classified as weapons by use or appearance without authorization.

        S. 555--A                           6
     1    6. Staffing. Programs operated, licensed, certified or  registered  by
     2  the office of children and family services shall comply with the follow-
     3  ing staffing requirements:
     4    (a)  Those  programs  accepting  youths  with risk level I assessments
     5  shall have staffing sufficient to ensure the safety of the employees and
     6  residents of the program.
     7    (b) Those programs accepting youths with  risk  level  II  assessments
     8  shall  have  staffing  sufficient  to  ensure  that no employee shall be
     9  required to supervise no more than one such youth, unless  the  employee
    10  is  accompanied  by  not  less than one other employee of the program or
    11  another appropriate person.
    12    (c) Those programs accepting youths with risk  level  III  assessments
    13  shall be secure or limited secure facilities.
    14    §  6. Subdivision 4 of section 504 of the executive law, as amended by
    15  chapter 687 of the laws of 1993, is amended to read as follows:
    16    4. The [division] office of children and family services shall  deter-
    17  mine,  subject  to  the provisions of section five hundred one-i of this
    18  article, the particular [division] office facility or program in which a
    19  child placed with [the division] such office shall be cared  for,  based
    20  upon  an evaluation of such child. The [division] office of children and
    21  family services shall, subject to the provisions of section five hundred
    22  one-i of this article and after a complete review  of  the  records  and
    23  files  of  a  child,  also  have authority to discharge or conditionally
    24  release children placed with it and to transfer  such  children  from  a
    25  limited  secure  or  non-secure  facility to any other limited secure or
    26  non-secure facility, when the interest of such  children  requires  such
    27  action;  provided that a child transferred to a non-secure facility from
    28  a limited secure facility may be returned to a limited  secure  facility
    29  upon a determination by the [division] office that, for any reason, care
    30  and  treatment  at  the  non-secure  facility  is  no  longer  suitable.
    31  Provided, however, that no such discharge, release or transfer shall  be
    32  authorized  if  the  child's  records  and files include (a) two or more
    33  level C rule violations within three months prior to a  proposed  place-
    34  ment  in  a  less  secure  facility,  or  (b)  four or more level B rule
    35  violations within three months prior to a proposed placement in  a  less
    36  secure facility, or (c) notation of any conduct or act committed by such
    37  child which would constitute a crime defined in the penal law if commit-
    38  ted by an adult.
    39    §  7.  Section  507-a  of the executive law is amended by adding a new
    40  subdivision 6 to read as follows:
    41    6. The office of children and family services not less than  ten  days
    42  before  the  movement  of  any youth, committed to the custody or super-
    43  vision of such office, to any facility or  program  operated,  licensed,
    44  registered,  certified or authorized by the office, shall provide notice
    45  of the movement of such youth to the division of state  police  and  the
    46  local  law  enforcement  agency having jurisdiction over the facility or
    47  program to which the youth is to be moved. Such  notice  shall  include,
    48  but  not  be  limited to, reports of the youth's prior assaults, acts of
    49  violence, attempted suicides, escapes and attempted escapes while in the
    50  care and custody of the office, and criminal charges.
    51    § 8. Title 2 of article 19-G of the executive law is amended by adding
    52  a new section 510 to read as follows:
    53    § 510. Reports of youth criminal  activity;  required.  1.  (a)  Every
    54  officer  and  employee  of a facility or program, that is subject to the
    55  provisions of this title, shall report or cause a report to be made to a
    56  law enforcement agency having jurisdiction when such officer or employee

        S. 555--A                           7
     1  has reasonable cause to suspect based upon personal knowledge of  facts,
     2  conditions or circumstances that a youth in such facility or program has
     3  committed  an  act,  which  if  the youth was an adult, would be a crime
     4  defined  in the penal law, or has committed a crime defined in the penal
     5  law.
     6    (b) After submitting a report to the  law  enforcement  agency  having
     7  jurisdiction,  the  officer and employee shall provide notice thereof to
     8  his or her employer and to the office of children and  family  services.
     9  Neither  operator  of  a  facility  or  program  that  is subject to the
    10  provisions of this title, nor the office of children and family services
    11  shall deny a law enforcement agency access  to  any  program,  facility,
    12  officer,  employee  or  youth  while  such agency is in the course of an
    13  investigation relating to a report submitted pursuant to  paragraph  (a)
    14  of this subdivision.
    15    (c)  No  operator  of  a  program  or facility licensed, registered or
    16  certified by the office of children and family services shall  take  any
    17  retaliatory  personnel  action, as such term is defined in paragraph (e)
    18  of subdivision one of section seven hundred  forty  of  the  labor  law,
    19  against  an  employee  because such employee believes that he or she has
    20  reasonable cause to suspect that a youth has committed  a  criminal  act
    21  and  that  employee  therefore  makes  a  report in accordance with this
    22  title. No facility or program, licensed, registered or certified by such
    23  office shall impose any conditions, including prior  approval  or  prior
    24  notification, upon a member of its staff specifically required to report
    25  under  this title. At the time of the making of a report, or at any time
    26  thereafter, such person or official may exercise the  right  to  request
    27  the findings of an investigation made pursuant to this section.
    28    2.  Any  person,  official  or  institution  required by this title to
    29  report a youth's criminal act who willfully conceals the  commission  of
    30  such crime shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor.
    31    3.  Any  person,  official  or  institution  required by this title to
    32  report a youth's criminal act who knowingly conceals the  commission  of
    33  such crime shall be civilly liable for the damages proximately caused by
    34  such concealment.
    35    4.  The  office of children and family services shall include instruc-
    36  tion on the provisions of this section as part of the training  required
    37  by subdivision twelve-a of section five hundred one of this article.
    38    §  9.  Subdivision 1 of section 510-c of the executive law, as amended
    39  by chapter 465 of the laws of 1992, is amended to read as follows:
    40    1. The [division] office of children and family services may,  subject
    41  to  the  provisions  of  section  five hundred one-i of this article and
    42  after a complete review of  the  records  and  the  files  of  a  child,
    43  discharge  from  its custody any child placed with the [division] office
    44  whenever it deems such discharge to be in the best interest of the child
    45  and there is reasonable probability that the  child  can  be  discharged
    46  without  endangering the public safety; provided, however, that no child
    47  while absent from [a division] an office facility without the consent of
    48  the director of such facility shall  be  discharged  by  the  [division]
    49  office  solely by reason of the absence[, and]; provided further that no
    50  child in the custody of the [division] office  and  transferred  to  the
    51  department  of  mental hygiene, while absent from a department of mental
    52  hygiene facility without the consent of the superintendent  or  director
    53  of  such  facility,  shall  be  discharged by the [division] office; and
    54  provided, further, that no child shall  be  discharged  if  his  or  her
    55  records and files include (a) two or more level C rule violations within
    56  three months prior to a proposed placement in a less secure facility, or

        S. 555--A                           8
     1  (b)  four or more level B rule violations within three months prior to a
     2  proposed placement in a less secure facility, or  (c)  notation  of  any
     3  conduct  or  act committed by such child which would constitute a desig-
     4  nated felony crime defined in the penal law if committed by an adult.
     5    §  10.  Section  837  of  the executive law is amended by adding a new
     6  subdivision 22 to read as follows:
     7    22. Establish rules and regulations requiring,  upon  request  of  the
     8  operator  of  a facility or program licensed, registered or certified by
     9  the office of children and family services, when a  youth  has  absented
    10  himself  or herself from such facility or program without authorization,
    11  that a police officer having jurisdiction escort  an  employee  of  such
    12  facility or program to the absent youth's place of residence to investi-
    13  gate  where  such youth has fled. Every such police officer shall assist
    14  the employee in taking the youth into custody and returning the youth to
    15  the facility or program to which the youth is assigned.
    16    § 11. Section 166 of the family  court  act  is  amended  to  read  as
    17  follows:
    18    §  166.  Privacy  of records. (a) The records of any proceeding in the
    19  family court shall not be  open  to  indiscriminate  public  inspection.
    20  However,  the  court  in  its  discretion  in  any  case  may permit the
    21  inspection of any papers or records. Any duly authorized agency, associ-
    22  ation, society or institution to which a child is committed may cause an
    23  inspection of the record of investigation to  be  had  and  may  in  the
    24  discretion  of  the  court  obtain  a  copy of the whole or part of such
    25  record.
    26    (b) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (a) of this section,
    27  the records of every juvenile delinquency proceeding in the family court
    28  of a person, who is placed with or  committed  to  the  custody  of  the
    29  office  of  children  and  family  services,  shall  be  open  to and be
    30  provided:
    31    (1) to the staff members and employees of the facility, whether  oper-
    32  ated  by such office or not, in which such person is placed or committed
    33  as a juvenile delinquent, juvenile offender or youthful offender by  the
    34  office of children and family services when the staff member or employee
    35  is  responsible  for  the  care, custody, treatment, housing, education,
    36  rehabilitation or guidance of the person;
    37    (2) in the event such person engages in  conduct  or  commits  an  act
    38  which  would  constitute  a crime defined in the penal law if the person
    39  was an adult or commits a crime defined in the penal law, to the  court,
    40  the  presentment agency or district attorney, and such person's attorney
    41  upon the filing of charges against the person relating  to  such  crime;
    42  and
    43    (3)  to any foster parents having custody of such person after release
    44  from the custody of the office of children and family services.
    45    § 12. Section 720.35 of the  criminal  procedure  law  is  amended  by
    46  adding a new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
    47    5.  Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision two of this section,
    48  all official records and papers of a youthful offender, who is committed
    49  to the custody of the office of children and family  services  shall  be
    50  open to and be provided to:
    51    (a)  the staff members and employees of the facility, whether operated
    52  by such office or not, in which the offender is committed by the  office
    53  of  children  and  family  services when the staff member or employee is
    54  responsible for the care, custody, treatment, housing, education,  reha-
    55  bilitation or guidance of the youthful offender;

        S. 555--A                           9
     1    (b)  in the event the youthful offender commits a crime defined in the
     2  penal law, to  the  court,  the  district  attorney,  and  the  youthful
     3  offender's  attorney  upon  the  filing of charges against such offender
     4  relating to such crime; and
     5    (c)  to  any  foster  parents having custody of such youthful offender
     6  after release from the custody of the  office  of  children  and  family
     7  services.
     8    §  13.  Section  725.15  of  the criminal procedure law, as amended by
     9  chapter 7 of the laws of 2007, is amended to read as follows:
    10  § 725.15 Sealing of records.
    11    1. Except where specifically required or permitted by statute or  upon
    12  specific  authorization  of the court that directed removal of an action
    13  to the family court all official records and papers of the action up  to
    14  and  including  the  order of removal, whether on file with the court, a
    15  police agency or the division of criminal justice services,  are  confi-
    16  dential  and  must  not  be  made  available  to any person or public or
    17  private agency, provided however that availability of copies of any such
    18  records and papers on file with the family court shall  be  governed  by
    19  provisions that apply to family court records, and further provided that
    20  all official records and papers of the action shall be included in those
    21  records and reports that may be obtained upon request by the commission-
    22  er of mental health or commissioner of [mental retardation and] develop-
    23  mental  disabilities,  as  appropriate;  the  case review panel; and the
    24  attorney general pursuant to section 10.05 of the mental hygiene law.
    25    2. Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision one of this  section,
    26  all  official  records  and  papers  of an action relating to a juvenile
    27  offender, who is placed with the office of children and family  services
    28  shall be open to and be provided:
    29    (a)  to the staff members and employees of the facility, whether oper-
    30  ated by such office or not, in which  the  offender  is  placed  by  the
    31  office of children and family services when the staff member or employee
    32  is  responsible  for  the  care, custody, treatment, housing, education,
    33  rehabilitation or guidance of the juvenile offender;
    34    (b) in the event the juvenile offender engages in conduct  or  commits
    35  an  act  which  would constitute a crime defined in the penal law if the
    36  offender was an adult or commits a crime defined in the  penal  law,  to
    37  the  court,  the  presentment  agency  or  district  attorney,  and such
    38  offender's attorney upon the filing  of  charges  against  the  juvenile
    39  offender relating to such crime; and
    40    (c)  to  any  foster  parents having custody of such juvenile offender
    41  after release from the custody of the  office  of  children  and  family
    42  services.
    43    §  14. Subdivision 2 of section 212 of the judiciary law is amended by
    44  adding a new paragraph (w) to read as follows:
    45    (w) Adopt rules, orders and forms providing for the provision  of  the
    46  official  records and papers of juvenile delinquents, juvenile offenders
    47  and youthful offenders  pursuant  to  subdivision  (a)  of  section  one
    48  hundred  sixty-six  of the family court act, subdivision five of section
    49  720.35 of the criminal procedure law, and  subdivision  two  of  section
    50  725.15 of the criminal procedure law.
    51    §  15.  Severability.  If  any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or
    52  part of this act shall be adjudged by any court of  competent  jurisdic-
    53  tion  to be invalid and after exhaustion of all further judicial review,
    54  the judgment shall not affect, impair or invalidate the remainder there-
    55  of, but shall be confined in its  operation  to  the  clause,  sentence,

        S. 555--A                          10
     1  paragraph,  section or part of this act directly involved in the contro-
     2  versy in which the judgment shall have been rendered.
     3    § 16. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeed-
     4  ing  the date on which it shall have become a law; provided that, effec-
     5  tive immediately, any rules and regulations necessary to  implement  the
     6  provisions  of  this  act  on  its  effective  date are authorized to be
     7  promulgated, repealed and/or amended on or before such date.
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