Bill > A05817

This bill enhances sentences for weapons offenses near school grounds, modifies juvenile record disclosure, adjusts earnings limitations for retired police officers working in schools, and introduces several criminal justice reforms. Specifically, the bill creates a new section in the penal law that increases sentencing severity for various weapons-related offenses when they occur within 5,000 feet of school grounds, effectively elevating many offenses to higher felony classes. The bill also changes rules about juvenile and youthful offender records, allowing more extensive sharing of these records with school officials and law enforcement to support safety planning. For retired police officers, the bill increases the annual earnings limitation to $50,000 for those working in school safety roles. Additionally, the bill introduces significant pretrial detention reforms, including a new framework for judges to consider community safety when setting bail, expanding factors like the defendant's community ties. The legislation also modifies criteria for transferring adolescent offenders to family court, narrowing circumstances where such transfers can occur, and expands the definition of criminal solicitation to include providing a loaded firearm to a minor under specific circumstances. The bill aims to enhance public safety, particularly in school environments, by providing more tools for law enforcement and judicial oversight.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5817