Bill > S01748

This bill amends the New York criminal procedure law to allow bail and pre-trial detention for arson felonies by adding arson in the fourth and third degrees to the list of offenses where bail and detention can be considered. Specifically, the bill modifies sections of the criminal procedure law to include arson offenses as circumstances where a court can potentially deny bail or impose pre-trial conditions. The changes apply to multiple sections of law related to bail and pre-trial release, updating language to use gender-neutral terms like "their" instead of "his or her" and expanding the criteria for when a defendant can be detained or required to post bail. The bill, which will be known as "Billy's law", will take effect 90 days after becoming law. The modifications are designed to give courts more discretion in handling cases involving arson felonies, allowing for potential pre-trial detention when prosecutors can show reasonable cause that the defendant committed the current and underlying crimes.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1748