Criminal Justice

died · New York · Senate Jun 1, 2026

S 5037: Establishes visiting policies for incarcerated individuals

Establishes visiting policies for incarcerated people, to provide incarcerated people opportunities for personal contact with relatives, friends, clergy, volunteers and other persons to promote better institutional adjustment and better community adjustment upon release.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill promotes rehabilitation by enabling family/visitation to improve institutional adjustment and community reintegration, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · New York · Senate May 29, 2026

S 6442: Directs the commissioner of the division of criminal justice services to study gender disparity in sentencing outcomes

Directs the commissioner of the division of criminal justice services to study gender disparity in sentencing outcomes and make a report to the governor and the legislature of their findings, conclusions and recommendations.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeStudies gender disparity in sentencing, a step toward reforming inequitable practices in criminal justice.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · New York · Senate May 29, 2026

S 626: Adds ammunition to the list of prohibited items to purchase or dispose of after certain convictions

This bill adds ammunition to the list of items prohibited from purchase or disposal after certain criminal convictions. It expands existing law that already bans firearm transactions for people barred from firearm possession due to prior convictions or disabilities. Now, individuals prohibited from owning firearms cannot legally buy or give away ammunition. Violating this provision would be classified as a class D felony.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands restrictions on convicted individuals' access to ammunition, increasing criminalization and reducing defendant rights per bill's prohibition on ammunition transactions.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · New York · Senate May 29, 2026

S 7928: Limits the suspension or revocation of an individual's driver's license when participating in a treatment court program

Limits the suspension or revocation of an individual's driver's license when an individual takes a certain plea involving participation in certain treatment court programs or the court allowed the individual to withdraw their previously entered plea of guilty, and plead guilty to a lesser charge or the department revoked or suspended the individual's driver's license upon a plea of guilty and at least six months have elapsed since such initial plea.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill prevents driver's license suspension for treatment court participants, promoting rehabilitation over punitive measures in criminal justice reform.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · New York · Senate May 29, 2026

S 5265: Requires screening incarcerated individuals for eligibility for public benefits prior to release

Requires screening incarcerated individuals for eligibility for public benefits prior to release and assistance in applying for such programs; requires officials to seek waivers from the USDA for eligibility for such program.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill promotes post-release reintegration by connecting incarcerated individuals to SNAP, reducing recidivism through rehabilitation support.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed both · New York · Senate May 28, 2026

S 3974: Relates to failure to complete a program for time allowances due to circumstances beyond an individual's control

This bill (S 3974) amends New York State correction law to ensure incarcerated individuals do not lose earned time allowances if they fail to complete assigned work or treatment programs due to circumstances beyond their control (e.g., medical issues or facility disruptions). It specifically revises sections of the correction law to clarify that time credits - earned through good behavior, program participation, or educational/vocational achievements - must not be withheld for such unavoidable circumstances. The policy directly affects incarcerated people in state facilities who qualify for time reductions under existing programs. The change aligns with current provisions but explicitly prevents punitive withholding of time allowances for factors outside an individual’s control.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticePrevents loss of earned time credits for unavoidable program failures, supporting rehabilitation and reducing recidivism risks in correctional systems.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · New York · Senate May 18, 2026

S 9632: Limits the admissibility of evidence of a defendant's creative or artistic expression against such defendant in a criminal proceeding

Establishes an assumption of the inadmissibility of evidence of a defendant's creative or artistic expression against such defendant in a criminal proceeding; requires the proffering party to affirmatively prove that the evidence is admissible by clear and convincing evidence.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill protects defendant rights by limiting admissibility of creative expression evidence, reducing potential bias and strengthening civil liberties in criminal proceedings.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed both · New York · Senate May 18, 2026

S 329: Facilitates appellate review of rulings that implicate issues of public concern

This bill (S 329) changes criminal procedure rules to allow defendants to appeal a judge's decision denying a motion to suppress evidence - even if they later enter a guilty plea. It directly affects criminal defendants who want to challenge evidence rulings that may involve issues of public concern. The key provision amends the law to make such denial orders "reviewable upon appeal" from the final conviction, removing a previous barrier that prevented appeals after a guilty plea. This provides a clearer path for defendants to seek appellate review of critical evidence rulings without being barred by their own plea. The change applies to all criminal cases where evidence suppression is contested.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill allows defendants to appeal evidence suppression rulings after guilty plea, strengthening due process rights in criminal proceedings.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · New York · Senate May 18, 2026

S 360: Relates to expanding the health department's review of correctional health services

Expands the health department's review of correctional health services by including a biennial study of health care staffing at facilities operated by the department of corrections and community supervision.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands health department oversight of correctional facility staffing, promoting better health services and rehabilitation within corrections, aligning with reform indicators.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands health department oversight of correctional health services via biennial staffing studies, strengthening public health program review in facilities.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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passed · New York · Senate May 14, 2026

S 7713: Restricts the use of automatic license plate reader information

Prohibits automatic license plate reader users from selling, sharing, allowing access to, or transferring automatic license plate reader information to any state or local jurisdiction for the purpose of investigating or enforcing a law that denies or interferes with a person's right to choose or obtain reproductive health care services or any lawful health care services.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRestricts law enforcement data use to protect reproductive health care access, aligning with civil rights protections in criminal justice reform.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill prohibits using license plate data to enforce laws restricting reproductive healthcare access, directly protecting patient rights in healthcare services.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyRestricts sharing of ALPR data to prevent misuse in health care enforcement, directly strengthening data privacy protections under technology policy.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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