Senate Crime Victims, Crime and Correction committee advances 12 bills, including measure to protect visitors using menstrual or contraceptive devices

The Senate Standing Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction met March 17 and advanced a slate of 12 bills, referring measures to Finance, Higher Education, Children and Families and other panels.

Committee Chair Senator Julia Salazar opened the session and said the committee had 12 bills on its agenda. The committee clerk, Julia Federick, read each bill title aloud; in almost every case members moved, seconded and the committee voted to report the measures to the next committee or to be recorded as reported.

Why it matters: The committee’s actions move multiple proposals closer to floor or fiscal review, including measures touching corrections, victim services, higher education and public health. Six of the bills were reported to Finance or otherwise noted for fiscal review, which is a common next procedural step that can affect timetable and funding scrutiny.

What the committee did: In short votes and without extended debate the committee advanced measures that would:

• S.395 — Amend Correction Law to require reading proficiency assessments and dyslexia screening for incarcerated individuals; moved and reported to Finance.

• S.1191 — Amend Correction Law on limited credit time allowances; moved and recorded.

• S.3795 — Prohibit colleges from asking about prior arrests or convictions during pre‑admissions; moved and reported to Higher Education.

• S.4584A — Amend Executive Law on reports and awards by the Office of Victim Services; moved and reported.

• S.6365 — Amend Correction Law on information provided to incarcerated individuals upon release; moved and recorded.

• S.6442 — Direct the Division of Criminal Justice Services to study gender disparity in sentencing outcomes; moved and reported.

• S.6481 — Authorize a study on the relationship between the correction system and the child welfare system; moved and reported to Children and Families.

• S.6814 — Amend Executive Law and Public Health Law to require notification of crime victims of the death of an accused; moved and reported.

• S.6896A — Enact the PTSD Awareness and Rehabilitation Act (amend Correction Law); moved and reported to Finance.

• S.7810 — Amend Correction Law on reporting requirements for temporary release programs; moved and reported.

• S.8106 — Amend Correction Law to establish an Office of Chief Medical Examiner; moved and reported to Finance.

• S.8353 — Amend Correction Law to prohibit denying visits to correctional facility visitors who are menstruating, wearing menstrual products, or carrying a contraceptive device; Chair Senator Julia Salazar described receiving numerous constituent reports of travelers who spent time and money to visit loved ones only to be denied contact visits when body scanners detected a menstrual or contraceptive device and called that practice “outrageous.” The committee moved the bill and reported it to the Committee on Women’s Issues.

What wasn’t decided: The committee’s actions were procedural referrals and reports; no final floor passage occurred in this meeting. Several bills were noted as reported to Finance, Higher Education, Children and Families or Women’s Issues, meaning fiscal or jurisdictional review will follow. Specific fiscal notes, effective dates and implementation details were not provided during the meeting and are not specified in the committee record.

Members and process notes: Chair Senator Julia Salazar presided and Ranking Member Senator Rob Raulerson spoke briefly. The committee clerk Julia Federick read bill titles and motions; movers and seconders were recorded in the transcript for each motion though not all roll-call tallies listed individual member votes beyond general 'Aye' answers. The meeting concluded after the committee reported the final bill to Women’s Issues and adjourned.

Next steps: Each reported bill will follow standard Senate procedures—referral to the named committee (for example Finance) for fiscal review or scheduling for further consideration. The transcript records only the committee-level votes and referrals performed on March 17.