Golden, Malliotakis Push for More Disclosure on Criminals

Legislators seek to unseal records of convicts

Senator Martin Golden (R,C,I-22^nd Senate District) and Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R,C-Brooklyn, Staten Island) are sponsoring legislation that would protect our communities by providing prospective employers with the means to conduct accurate criminal background checks.

Senator Marty Golden, a former New York City Police Officer and the Senate sponsor stated, "This bill would repeal the sealing provision of the so-called "Rockefeller Drug Law” reform enacted as a part of the 2009-2010 State Budget, which allows criminal courts, on notice to the prosecutor, to seal the criminal records of felons upon their successful completion of "drug court." This legislation would restore the ability of prospective employers to obtain accurate criminal background checks, and I thank Assemblywoman Malliotakis for sponsoring this important public safety legislation in the state Assembly. This legislation is one that should be approved this year so to ensure the well-being and safety of all New Yorkers."

“This legislation is an essential component to protecting our communities from repeat drug offenders,” said Malliotakis. “Under current law, employers are not being provided with the means to adequately examine a potential employee’s criminal background. When a senior center searches for a new employee or a daycare looks to bring on new personnel, they need to have every possible tool at their fingertips to ensure that the person they are hiring does not pose a threat to the most vulnerable populations in our community.”

The Rockefeller Drug Laws, a series of stringent anti-drug measures passed in 1973 that were once considered among the toughest in the nation, were drastically watered down in 2004. In 2009, further changes weakened the stricter penalties that kept repeat drug offenders in jail and off our streets.