Bill > A00930

This bill amends the New York criminal procedure law to give courts more flexibility in setting bail for individuals who are charged with the same offense for the third time within a two-year period. Currently, courts are generally required to release defendants on their own recognizance or under non-monetary conditions. However, under this new legislation, when a person is charged for the third time with the same offense within two years, the court will have additional discretionary powers. These powers include: releasing the defendant on their own recognizance, setting non-monetary conditions, fixing bail, combining bail with non-monetary conditions, or, in cases involving a felony, committing the defendant to the custody of the sheriff. This change provides judges with more options for addressing repeat offenders while still maintaining some of the existing principles of bail reform that prioritize releasing defendants without monetary conditions when possible. The bill would take effect 30 days after becoming law, applying to cases where a defendant is charged with the same offense three times within a two-year timeframe.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A930