Senate Passes Bill to Protect the Kids from Sex Offenders

Senator Addabbo: Law Requires Sex Offender, Abuse Screening for Jobs Working with Children

Queens, NY, July 16, 2010 --  NYS Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach)
announced the passing of legislation in the Senate (S6998A) which will help prevent
employers from hiring registered sex offenders and those guilty of child abuse for
jobs that require a significant time spent around children.

While hiring policies utilized by public schools already include background checks
and ensure this security for children, other organizations do not currently practice
similar diligence.

Senator Addabbo praised the passing of the bill, noting this will prevent anyone on
either the New York State Sex Offender Registry or the Statewide Central Registry of
Child Abuse and Maltreatment from gaining employment in a manner that again places
a child at risk. This bill passed the Senate unanimously (61-0) and a vote is pending
in the Assembly.

“Our primary objective must be to keep our children safe from dangerous predators,”
said Senator Addabbo. “This legislation reduces the risk of exposing new victims to
sexual abuse by keeping known offenders from spending extended time alone around
children, like at martial arts or dance and music schools, in addition to our local
schools, day care facilities and camps.”

Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Glendale), who introduced the bill in the Assembly after
learning that a registered sex offender was working at a karate school in Glendale,
added, “This is great news for parents and children across New York. Getting this
through the Assembly and signed into law is my first priority.”

The Assemblyman continued, “Extending the background check requirement to other
child-oriented fields benefits the whole community. It gives parents the peace of
mind of knowing their child is safe, it guards sex offenders and abusers from
potentially committing another violation, and it reduces the risk of creating new
victims of sexual abuse by prohibiting known offenders from interacting with children.”

Addabbo concluded, “Should this bill become law, I plan on working with the
appropriate agencies to ensure safety for our children.”

To learn more about the Sex Offender Registry, log on to 
http://criminaljustice.state.ny.us/nsor/; for the Registry of Child Abuse,
visit http://www.ocfs.state.ny.us/main/cps/.

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