SEN. FARLEY REPORTS SENATE PASSES MEASURES TO PROTECT CHILDREN

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I – Schenectady) announced that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate recently passed four bills to promote the safety and well-being of children and families. The measures would prevent felons from working in child day care programs, increase penalties for child endangerment, protect consumers by preventing unauthorized vendors from selling items like baby food, and help keep military families together by eliminating deployment as a barrier to child custody.

The Senate passed legislation (S1472A) that would help ensure that young children are not being cared for by felons with a history of serious crimes. This measure would prohibit convicted criminals from working in child day care programs. Under this legislation, if a person has been convicted of a felony because of a sex offense, crime against a child, or crime involving violence, or a conviction for a felony drug-related offense within the past five years, they would be denied an operating license and employment at a child day care facility. The bill also removes the Office of Children and Family Services’ existing discretion to permit criminals to participate in child day care programs.

In addition, the Senate passed legislation that creates a felony crime of endangering the welfare of a child. The bill (S3362) makes it a class D violent felony offense, punishable up to seven years in prison, if a person has been previously charged with child endangerment. Under current law, the crime is a misdemeanor offense no matter how many times an individual has been charged with that crime in the past.

The Senate passed legislation (S3297) that would prevent a military member’s deployment or probability of deployment from being a detrimental factor when determining child custody if a suitable child care plan is presented.

The Senate also passed a bill (S3840) that would establish a new law to prevent itinerant vendors from selling baby food and other items, including nonprescription drugs, cosmetics, and batteries.

The bills have been sent to the Assembly.