With the budget approved, the State Senate and Assembly have been working to pass a variety of bills for New Yorkers. Recently, the Assembly passed a package of bills aimed at improving the quality of life for citizens with disabilities, and the Senate passed bills to protect against sex offenders.
On Tuesday, Assemblyman Mike Miller (D-Woodhaven) announced the bills aimed at helping disabled New Yorkers in honor of Legislative Disabilities Awareness Day.
“People with disabilities have to overcome difficult challenges every day,” Miller said. “To help remove some of the roadblocks, the Assembly has passed bills that level the playing field for those with disabilities.”
The bills clarify protections against disability discrimination to be consistent with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), require that the services of sign-language interpreters be made available upon request at public hearings and meetings and redefine “service animal” to include, but not be limited to, any guide, hearing or service dog.
The package of bills also ensures voters with disabilities have equal access to election ballots, establishes emergency protocol to assist people with disabilities, improves public transportation and provides diverse housing options.
The package of bills will now have to be approved by the Senate.
Meanwhile, the Senate strengthened the state’s laws against sex offenders. One bill makes it a felony for any individual aged 18 and older to sexually abuse a 12- or 13-year-old victim. Under the current law, abuse of children under the age of 11 is a felony, but abusing 12- or 13-year-olds is only a misdemeanor.
“Current law is inconsistent and dangerous, especially in a world where 12- and 13-year-olds are using the same modes of communications as the most tech-savvy pedophiles,” said State Senator Joe Addabbo (D-Howard Beach).
Other bills strengthened the definition of aggravated sexual assault, and one bill establishes penalties for convicted sex offenders who refuse to provide DNA samples or register as a sex offender. The Senate also passed a bill that would prevent sex offenders from serving in managerial and supervisory roles in residential living quarters, as a home health aide and in assisted living facilities.
“I am hopeful these bills eventually become law, in order to strengthen and improve the protection of individuals against sex offenders,” Addabbo said.
The sex offender legislation will now move to the Assembly for review.
by Eric Yun
