Sen. Farley Announces Senate Passes Bill to Create a Registry of Violent Offenders

State Senator Hugh T. Farley (R, C, I – Schenectady) reported that he and his colleagues in the New York State Senate recently approved The Domestic Violence Protection Act –Brittany’s Law, a bill that would increase the safety and awareness of communities by increasing access to information about convicted violent felons. The bill (S513) would create a publicly accessible registry of all individuals convicted of a violent felony and allow local law enforcement to keep track of their location.

“The Domestic Violence Protection Act – Brittany’s Law” is named for 12-year-old Brittany Passalacqua, who was brutally murdered along with her mother, Helen Buchel, at their home in Geneva, Ontario County, in 2009. The killer, John Edward Brown, was on parole at the time of the murder. He was released early from prison after serving only 2 ½ years for assaulting his infant daughter in 2003.

Under the bill, passed today, all individuals convicted of a violent felony must register with the New York State Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) upon discharge, parole, or release from any state or local facility, hospital, or institution. The registry would be accessible to the public, similar to the registry of sex offenders that the state currently has in place. The legislation also establishes annual registration requirements for offenders to allow local law enforcement agencies and the state to monitor the whereabouts of these individuals.

The bill has been sent to the Assembly.