S 5090: Alters the composition of the state board of parole to include members who shall adequately reflect the composition of the prison population in race, age, and geographic area of residence.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 5090 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN SENATE February 18, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sens. SEPULVEDA, COMRIE, FERNANDEZ, MYRIE, SERRANO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Crime Victims, Crime and Correction AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to requiring the state board of parole to reflect the composition of the prison population in race, age and geographic area of residence The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 259-b of the executive law, as 2 amended by section 38-a of subpart A of part C of chapter 62 of the laws 3 of 2011, is amended to read as follows: 4 1. There shall be in the department a state board of parole [which] 5 that shall possess the powers and duties hereinafter specified. The 6 board shall function independently of the department regarding all of 7 its decision-making functions, as well as any other powers and duties 8 specified in this article, provided, however, that administrative 9 matters of general applicability within the department shall be applica- 10 ble to the board. Such board shall consist of not more than nineteen 11 members and not less than fifteen members appointed by the governor with 12 the advice and consent of the senate. In making appointments to the 13 board, the governor shall ensure that the membership shall adequately 14 reflect the composition of the prison population in race and ethnicity, 15 age, and geographic area of residence. The percentage of each demograph- 16 ic characteristic of the members shall be directly proportionate to that 17 of the prison population. The term of office of each member of such 18 board shall be for six years; provided, however, that any member chosen 19 to fill a vacancy occurring otherwise than by expiration of term shall 20 be appointed, in the manner specified above, for the remainder of the 21 unexpired term of the member whom [he] such person is to succeed. In the 22 event of the inability to act of any member, the governor may appoint EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09720-01-5 
 S. 5090 2 1 some competent informed person to act in [his] the member's stead during 2 the continuance of such disability. 3 § 2. The state board of parole as constituted on the effective date of 4 this section is hereby abolished as of January 1, 2026. Members of the 5 state board of parole as constituted pursuant to the provisions of 6 subdivision 1 of section 259-b of the executive law, as amended by 7 section one of this act, shall be appointed by the appropriate state 8 official prior to January 1, 2026, so that such board may be fully oper- 9 ative on and after such date. 10 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.