Bill > S03048

This bill relates to confidentiality and expungement of juvenile delinquency records, significantly expanding protections for young people involved in the family court system. The legislation creates comprehensive new rules for maintaining the confidentiality of juvenile records, including detailed provisions about what types of records must remain confidential, such as legal files, law enforcement records, and personal social records. The bill mandates that juvenile records be expunged (completely destroyed) in various circumstances, including when a case is terminated in the respondent's favor, when a juvenile reaches 21 years old, or for certain low-level offenses. The bill also establishes a process for requesting limited record releases, requiring a court hearing and consideration of factors like the juvenile's best interests, age, offense nature, and potential consequences of record retention. Additionally, the legislation imposes strict limitations on who can access juvenile records, requires automatic destruction of records in specific scenarios, and creates a civil penalty of up to $1,000 for unauthorized record disclosures. The overall aim is to protect young people from long-term consequences of juvenile justice system involvement by ensuring their records remain confidential and are ultimately expunged.

Education, Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S3048