Signed by Governor Kathy Hochul

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that requires district attorneys give crime victims' information about the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision's victim assistance office, not the parole board's contact details in New York.

Highlights:

• Requires the district attorney to provide a crime victim (Sec. 1):

• A pamphlet explaining the rights of crime victims prepared by the Division of Criminal Justice Services;

• The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s contact information, including the Office of Victim Assistance’s toll-free telephone number in order to learn the status of the defendant’s incarceration; and

• The address and phone number of the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision’s Office of Victim Assistance.

• Specifics that the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and the Office of Victim Assistance contact information will be provided instead of the State Parole Board’s (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that the necessary contact information can be provided to a parent or guardian if the victim is a minor or a surviving family member in the case of homicide (Sec. 1). 

• Requires simultaneous passage of proposed legislative bills S 5502 and A 4199 before taking effect (Sec. 1). 

Full Bill Text