S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    303
 
                        2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 4, 2023
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims,  Crime  and
   Correction
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the executive law, in relation to awards made to crime
   victims

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivision 8 of section 621 of the executive law, as added
 by chapter 197 of the laws of 1983, is amended to read as follows:
   8. "Essential personal property" shall mean articles of personal prop-
 erty  necessary  and  essential  to the health, welfare or safety of the
 victim.
   (A) PERSONAL PROPERTY NECESSARY AND ESSENTIAL TO THE  WELFARE  OF  THE
 VICTIM  SHALL  MEAN PERSONAL PROPERTY OF A VICTIM THAT IS LOST, DAMAGED,
 OR STOLEN AS A RESULT OF A CRIME AND FOR WHICH REIMBURSEMENT OR REPLACE-
 MENT IS REASONABLY NECESSARY FOR THE  VICTIM  TO  RESTORE  STABILITY  OR
 MAINTAIN A REASONABLE AND/OR BASIC STANDARD OF LIVING.
   (B) THE OFFICE SHALL PROMULGATE RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE DETERMI-
 NATION AND APPROVAL OF WHAT CONSTITUTES PROPERTY REASONABLY NECESSARY TO
 RESTORE  OR  MAINTAIN  A  REASONABLE  AND/OR  BASIC  STANDARD  OF LIVING
 CONSISTENT WITH THIS ARTICLE.
   § 2. Subdivision 9 of section 631 of the executive law, as amended  by
 section  1  of  part  I of chapter 55 of the laws of 2022, is amended to
 read as follows:
   9. (A) Any award made for the cost of repair or replacement of  essen-
 tial  personal  property,  including  cash  losses of essential personal
 property, shall be limited to an amount of twenty-five hundred  dollars,
 except  that  all  cash  losses  of essential personal property shall be
 limited to the amount of one hundred dollars. In the case  of  medically
 necessary  life-sustaining  equipment  which  was lost or damaged as the
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

                                                            LBD00655-01-3
 S. 303                              2
 
 direct result of a crime, the award shall be limited to  the  amount  of
 ten thousand dollars.
   (B) FOR PROPERTY NECESSARY AND ESSENTIAL TO THE WELFARE OF THE VICTIM,
 THE  OFFICE  MAY REQUEST THAT THE CLAIMANT PROVIDE ESTIMATES OR RECEIPTS
 FOR PERSONAL PROPERTY LOST, DAMAGED OR STOLEN AS A RESULT OF THE  CRIME.
 A  CLAIMANT'S INABILITY TO PRODUCE A RECEIPT FOR LOST, STOLEN OR DAMAGED
 PERSONAL ITEMS SHALL NOT IN ITSELF DISQUALIFY A CLAIMANT FROM  RECEIVING
 REIMBURSEMENT  FOR  SUCH  ITEMS. THE OFFICE SHALL CONSIDER ALL THE FACTS
 AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF EACH CASE BEFORE MAKING A DETERMINATION.
   (C) PERSONAL PROPERTY NECESSARY AND ESSENTIAL TO THE  WELFARE  OF  THE
 VICTIM  SHALL  INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING ITEMS LOST,
 DAMAGED, OR STOLEN AS A RESULT OF THE CRIME:
   (I) CLOTHING;
   (II) SHOES;
   (III) FURNITURE;
   (IV) APPLIANCES;
   (V) ELECTRONICS; AND
   (VI) BEDDING.
   (D) PROPERTY NECESSARY AND ESSENTIAL TO  THE  WELFARE  OF  THE  VICTIM
 SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE FOLLOWING:
   (I) SOFA, COUCH, LOVESEAT, OR CHAIR;
   (II) DINING TABLE;
   (III) BED/MATTRESS;
   (IV) SHEETS, PILLOWS, COMFORTERS AND BLANKETS;
   (V) LAMP;
   (VI) REFRIGERATOR;
   (VII) MICROWAVE;
   (VIII) STOVE;
   (IX) DISHES AND EATING UTENSILS;
   (X) TELEVISION;
   (XI) TELEPHONE OR CELL PHONE;
   (XII) TOYS FOR CHILDREN UNDER SIX YEARS OLD; AND
   (XIII) STROLLER.
   (E) ELIGIBLE ESSENTIAL PERSONAL PROPERTY AS SPECIFIED IN PARAGRAPH (D)
 OF  THIS SUBDIVISION, INCLUDING ANY PROPERTY NOT SPECIFICALLY ENUMERATED
 IN PARAGRAPH (D) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, MAY BE REIMBURSED AT A  REASONABLE
 RATE  AS  DETERMINED  BY  THE  OFFICE,  PROVIDED THAT SUCH RATE DOES NOT
 EXCEED TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS.
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.