NY State Senate Bill 2023-S7959

Senate Bill S7959

2023-2024 Legislative Session

Requires video cameras to be placed on the entrances/exits of all facilities run by the office for people with developmental disabilities

download bill text pdf

Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Disabilities 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 04, 2024	referred to disabilities

2023-S7959 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:: Senate Disabilities
Law Section:: Mental Hygiene Law
Laws Affected:: Amd §13.25, Ment Hyg L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2011-2012: S4817
2013-2014: S2000
2015-2016: S3623
2017-2018: S2941
2019-2020: S4015
2021-2022: S3478

2023-S7959 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Requires video cameras to be placed on the entrances/exits of all facilities run by the office for people with developmental disabilities.

2023-S7959 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                 
BILL NUMBER: S7959

SPONSOR: PARKER
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to requiring video
cameras in facilities operated by the office for people with develop-
mental disabilities

 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:

To allow the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities to place
video cameras on the entrance and exit of all facilities.

 
SUMMARY OF SPECIFIC PROVISIONS:

Section 1. Amends the mental hygiene law to provide that, the Office
for-People with Developmental Disabilities, including group homes, resi-
dential homes, inpatient facilities, and all other facilities to insttl
video cameras at all entrances and exits; to ensure safety, the
Corzmis7,- sioner, in consultation with the State Police, shall develop
a sysicr, for maintaining such recorded images.

Section 2. Sets forth the effective date.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Paula Liblick, a 61yo OPWDD resident in a group home in the Hudson was
assaulted and raped by an intruder to the home, but since no mechanism
existed to catalogue visitors to the home, no suspects were identified
except for the 2 long term staff at the home. Also, recently the New
York Times ran a series of stories entitled "At State Run Homes, abuse
and Impunity" which highlighted many of the problems in the state run
homes, facilities and programs.

We have cameras recording information on visitors to many public build-
ings and institutions in an effort to protect the denizens and property
at these sites. Certainly, the residents and participants of the state
run OPWDD programs, who are society's most vulnerable, deserve to be
protected in the same manner.

 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-22: S3478/A70 - Referred to Mental Health/Referred to Ways and
Means

2019-20: S4015/A3529 Reported to Mental Health

2017-18: S2941/A745 Reported to Ways & Means/S2941 referred to Mental
Health

2015-16: S3623/A1059 reported to Ways & Means/S3622 reported to Finance

2013-14: S2000-A/A1715A reported to Codes/S2000A reported to Finance

2011-12: S4817/A7128 referred to Mental He reported to Finance

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

To be determined.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become law.

2023-S7959 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7959
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 4, 2024
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  PARKER -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Disabilities
 
 AN ACT to amend the mental hygiene law, in relation to  requiring  video
   cameras  in facilities operated by the office for people with develop-
   mental disabilities
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Section  13.25  of  the  mental hygiene law is amended by
 adding a new subdivision (c) to read as follows:
   (C) FACILITIES OPERATED BY THE OFFICE, INCLUDING GROUP HOMES, RESIDEN-
 TIAL HOMES, INPATIENT FACILITIES AND ALL  OTHER  FACILITIES  UNDER  THIS
 TITLE  SHALL  INSTALL  VIDEO  CAMERAS  AT  ALL  ENTRANCES AND EXITS. THE
 COMMISSIONER, IN CONSULTATION WITH THE STATE  POLICE,  SHALL  DEVELOP  A
 SYSTEM FOR MAINTAINING SUCH RECORDED IMAGES.
   §  2.    This  act  shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day
 after it shall have become a law.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03027-01-3

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