NY State Senate Bill 2019-S969

Senate Bill S969

2019-2020 Legislative Session

Directs the board of trustees of the state university to require applicants to state-operated institutions to state whether they have been convicted of a violent felony offense

download bill text pdf

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Higher Education 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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	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Jan 09, 2019	referred to higher education

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2019-S969 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Higher Education
Law Section:: Education Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §355, Ed L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2015-2016: S8192
2017-2018: S155

2019-S969 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Directs the board of trustees of the state university to require applicants to state-operated institutions to state whether they have been convicted of a violent felony offense.

2019-S969 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S969

SPONSOR: YOUNG
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
directing the board of trustees of the state university to include, on
every application for admission to a state-operated institution, a ques-
tion on whether the applicant has been convicted of any violent felony
offense

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

Directs the board of trustees of the state university to require appli-
cants to state-operated institutions to state whether they have been
convicted of a violent felony.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1: amends Section 355 of the Education Law by adding subdivision
17-a, to direct the board of trustees of the state university to adopt
rules providing that each application to admission to a state-operated
institution shall require the applicant to state whether he or she has

ever been convicted of a violent felony.

Section 2: provides that the act shall take effect immediately.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

In September 2016, the SUNY Board of Trustees eliminated the requirement
for applicants to disclose prior felony convictions on their admission
applications. As the State's foremost higher education system, SUNY is
entrusted with not only providing a quality, affordable education to
hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, but also ensuring that students
are safe while they pursue their degree. This decision hinders their
ability to achieve that goal and potentially increases the likelihood
that they will become victims of a crime.

Screening for violent felons is a critical aspect of the application
process and is necessary to keep our students safe. Given the issues
that constantly arise on college campuses, particularly with regard to
sexual assault and rape, such screening is more necessary than ever.
Therefore, this legislation reinstates the long-standing requirement
that applicants disclose prior violent felony convictions during the
admissions process.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2017-18: S.155 Committed to Rules
2016: S.8192-A Committed to Rules

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.

2019-S969 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    969
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 9, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens. YOUNG, AMEDORE, FUNKE, GALLIVAN, HELMING, RITCHIE,
   SEWARD, TEDISCO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to
   be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
 
 AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to directing the board of
   trustees of the state university to include, on every application  for
   admission  to  a state-operated institution, a question on whether the
   applicant has been convicted of any violent felony offense
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 355 of the education law is amended by adding a new
 subdivision 17-a to read as follows:
   17-A.  THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE STATE UNIVERSITY SHALL ADOPT RULES
 PROVIDING THAT EACH APPLICATION TO ADMISSION TO A STATE-OPERATED  INSTI-
 TUTION  SHALL  REQUIRE THE APPLICANT TO STATE WHETHER HE OR SHE HAS EVER
 BEEN CONVICTED OF A VIOLENT FELONY OFFENSE, AS  DEFINED  IN  SUBDIVISION
 ONE OF SECTION 70.02 OF THE PENAL LAW, IN THIS STATE OR OF AN OFFENSE IN
 ANY  OTHER  JURISDICTION  IN THE UNITED STATES WHICH INCLUDES ALL OF THE
 ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A VIOLENT FELONY OFFENSE IN THIS  STATE.    IF  AN
 APPLICANT HAS BEEN CONVICTED OF SUCH AN OFFENSE, HE OR SHE SHALL IDENTI-
 FY  THE  VIOLENT  FELONY  OFFENSE  OR  OFFENSES  OF  WHICH HE OR SHE WAS
 CONVICTED, THE DATE OR DATES OF SUCH CONVICTION OR CONVICTIONS, AND  THE
 COURT OR COURTS IN WHICH SUCH CONVICTION OR CONVICTIONS WERE RENDERED.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03010-01-9

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