Bill > A05069

This bill, known as "Chelsey's law", proposes significant changes to New York's penal law regarding manslaughter charges related to controlled substance distribution. The legislation expands the definition of manslaughter to include situations where a person knowingly sells, administers, or delivers a controlled substance that causes or contributes to another person's death. The bill introduces several specific scenarios that can trigger aggravated manslaughter charges, such as selling drugs to individuals under 18, selling to someone already impaired by substances, delivering drugs to someone who recently completed a rehabilitation program, or failing to disclose the full composition of a substance mixture. Importantly, the law creates a legal presumption that selling controlled substances without a medical prescription is evidence that the seller knew the substance could be lethal. The bill also adds provisions that increase penalties for drug distribution in various high-risk contexts, such as selling to minors or to individuals with known substance abuse history. By expanding the legal framework around drug-related deaths, the legislation aims to hold drug distributors more accountable for potential fatal consequences of their actions.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5069