New York Senate Bill S00128

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/8/25
• Refer: 1/8/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Requires the notice to crime victims of case disposition to inform the victim of the right to attend interviews between the board of parole and the incarcerated individual in cases where the final disposition includes a felony defined in article one hundred twenty-five of the penal law that results in the commitment of the defendant to the custody of the department of corrections and community supervision for an indeterminate sentence; requires the board of parole to review victim impact statements, failure to review such statements shall make a hearing by the board of parole invalid.

Summary

S00128 would expand crime-victim notice and participation rights in certain felony cases, especially homicide cases. Under the bill, when a case ends in a conviction that results in an indeterminate prison sentence, the district attorney’s disposition notice to the victim would have to explain not only the existing right to submit a victim impact statement, but also the right to attend parole board interviews with the incarcerated person in person or by electronic appearance and to express views about the crime, the offender, and parole release conditions. The bill also clarifies that this right applies to each parole interview involving the incarcerated individual. The bill further requires the Board of Parole, immediately before any hearing, to review all victim impact statements related to the offense, including statements from the pre-sentence report and those submitted directly to the board. Statements submitted directly to the board would have to be video recorded, and the bill states that failure to review the statements would invalidate the hearing. In effect, the measure strengthens the procedural role of victims in parole proceedings and adds a new statutory requirement for parole decision-making.

Impact

The bill would amend both the Criminal Procedure Law and the Executive Law. It would expand the content of victim-notification letters under CPL 440.50 and add a new requirement in Executive Law 259-i that parole board members review all relevant victim impact statements before a hearing. It also creates a legal consequence for noncompliance: a parole hearing would be invalid if the board failed to review the statements as required. The practical effect would be to increase the duties of district attorneys, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and the Board of Parole, while broadening the rights of victims in homicide-related cases and other specified violent felony cases.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears to be framed as a victim-rights and public-safety bill, with an emphasis on ensuring victims are informed and heard during parole proceedings. The available context does not include committee debate or recorded votes, so there is no direct evidence of bipartisan support or opposition in the materials provided. The sponsor list suggests it was introduced by senators likely aligned with a tougher-on-crime or victims’ rights approach.

Contention

The main point of contention is likely to be the bill’s expansion of victim participation in parole interviews and its mandatory invalidation remedy for failure to review victim impact statements. Supporters would likely view these provisions as necessary to ensure victims are meaningfully included and that parole boards consider all relevant information. Critics may argue that the bill could complicate parole administration, create procedural challenges, and increase the risk of hearings being overturned for technical noncompliance. Another possible issue is the requirement that direct victim statements be video recorded, which may raise privacy, accessibility, or administrative concerns for victims and the board.