N.Y. Mental Hyg. Law § 10.03

Current through 2024 NY Law Chapters 1-49, 52, and 61-114

Section 10.03 - Definitions

As used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

(a) "Agency with jurisdiction" as to a person means that agency which, during the period in question, would be the agency responsible for supervising or releasing such person, and can include the department of corrections and community supervision, the office of mental health, and the office for people with developmental disabilities.

(b) "Commissioner" means the commissioner of mental health or the commissioner of developmental disabilities.

(c) "Correctional facility" means a correctional facility as that term is defined in section two of the correction law.

(d) "Counsel for respondent" means any counsel that has been retained or appointed for respondent, or if no other counsel has been retained or appointed, or prior counsel cannot be located with reasonable efforts, then the mental hygiene legal service.

(e) "Dangerous sex offender requiring confinement" means a person who is a detained sex offender suffering from a mental abnormality involving such a strong predisposition to commit sex offenses, and such an inability to control behavior, that the person is likely to be a danger to others and to commit sex offenses if not confined to a secure treatment facility.

(f) "Designated felony" means any felony offense defined by any of the following provisions of the penal law: assault in the second degree as defined in section 120.05, assault in the first degree as defined in section 120.10, gang assault in the second degree as defined in section 120.06, gang assault in the first degree as defined in section 120.07, stalking in the first degree as defined in section 120.60, strangulation in the second degree as defined in section 121.12, strangulation in the first degree as defined in section 121.13, manslaughter in the second degree as defined in subdivision one of section 125.15, manslaughter in the first degree as defined in section 125.20, murder in the second degree as defined in section 125.25, aggravated murder as defined in section 125.26, murder in the first degree as defined in section 125.27, kidnapping in the second degree as defined in section 135.20, kidnapping in the first degree as defined in section 135.25, burglary in the third degree as defined in section 140.20, burglary in the second degree as defined in section 140.25, burglary in the first degree as defined in section 140.30, arson in the second degree as defined in section 150.15, arson in the first degree as defined in section 150.20, robbery in the third degree as defined in section 160.05, robbery in the second degree as defined in section 160.10, robbery in the first degree as defined in section 160.15, promoting prostitution in the second degree as defined in section 230.30, promoting prostitution in the first degree as defined in section 230.32, compelling prostitution as defined in section 230.33, sex trafficking of a child as defined in section 230.34-a , disseminating indecent material to minors in the first degree as defined in section 235.22, use of a child in a sexual performance as defined in section 263.05, promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child as defined in section 263.10, promoting a sexual performance by a child as defined in section 263.15, or any felony attempt or conspiracy to commit any of the foregoing offenses.

(g) "Detained sex offender" means a person who is in the care, custody, control, or supervision of an agency with jurisdiction, with respect to a sex offense or designated felony, in that the person is either:

(1) A person who stands convicted of a sex offense as defined in subdivision (p) of this section, and is currently serving a sentence for, or subject to supervision by the division of parole, whether on parole or on post-release supervision, for such offense or for a related offense;

(2) A person charged with a sex offense who has been determined to be an incapacitated person with respect to that offense and has been committed pursuant to article seven hundred thirty of the criminal procedure law, but did engage in the conduct constituting such offense;

(3) A person charged with a sex offense who has been found not responsible by reason of mental disease or defect for the commission of that offense;

(4) A person who stands convicted of a designated felony that was sexually motivated and committed prior to the effective date of this article;

(5) A person convicted of a sex offense who is, or was at any time after September first, two thousand five, a patient in a hospital operated by the office of mental health, and who was admitted directly to such facility pursuant to article nine of this title or section four hundred two of the correction law upon release or conditional release from a correctional facility, provided that the provisions of this article shall not be deemed to shorten or lengthen the time for which such person may be held pursuant to such article or section respectively; or

(6) A person who has been determined to be a sex offender requiring civil management pursuant to this article.

(h) "Licensed psychologist" means a person who is registered as a psychologist under article one hundred fifty-three of the education law.

(i) "Mental abnormality" means a congenital or acquired condition, disease or disorder that affects the emotional, cognitive, or volitional capacity of a person in a manner that predisposes him or her to the commission of conduct constituting a sex offense and that results in that person having serious difficulty in controlling such conduct.

(j) "Psychiatric examiner" means a qualified psychiatrist or a licensed psychologist who has been designated to examine a person pursuant to this article; such designee may, but need not, be an employee of the office of mental health or the office for people with developmental disabilities.

(k) "Qualified psychiatrist" means a physician licensed to practice medicine in New York state who: (1) is a diplomate of the American board of psychiatry and neurology or is eligible to be certified by that board; or (2) is certified by the American osteopathic board of neurology and psychiatry or is eligible to be certified by that board.

(l) "Related offenses" include any offenses that are prosecuted as part of the same criminal action or proceeding, or which are part of the same criminal transaction, or which are the bases of the orders of commitment received by the department of correctional services in connection with an incarcerated individual's current term of incarceration.

(m) "Release" and "released" means release, conditional release or discharge from confinement, from community supervision by the department of corrections and community supervision, or from an order of observation, commitment, recommitment or retention.

(n) "Respondent" means a person referred to a case review team for evaluation, a person as to whom a sex offender civil management petition has been recommended by a case review team and not yet filed, or filed by the attorney general and not dismissed, or sustained by procedures under this article.

(o) "Secure treatment facility" means a facility or a portion of a facility, designated by the commissioner, that may include a facility located on the grounds of a correctional facility, that is staffed with personnel from the office of mental health or the office for people with developmental disabilities for the purposes of providing care and treatment to persons confined under this article, and persons defined in paragraph five of subdivision (g) of this section. Personnel from these same agencies may provide security services, provided that such staff are adequately trained in security methods and so equipped as to minimize the risk or danger of escape.

(p) "Sex offense" means an act or acts constituting:

(1) any felony defined in article one hundred thirty of the penal law, including a sexually motivated felony;

(2) patronizing a person for prostitution in the first degree as defined in section 230.06 of the penal law, aggravated patronizing a minor for prostitution in the first degree as defined in section 230.13 of the penal law, aggravated patronizing a minor for prostitution in the second degree as defined in section 230.12 of the penal law, aggravated patronizing a minor for prostitution in the third degree as defined in section 230.11 of the penal law, incest in the second degree as defined in section 255.26 of the penal law, or incest in the first degree as defined in section 255.27 of the penal law;

(3) a felony attempt or conspiracy to commit any of the foregoing offenses set forth in this subdivision; or

(4) a designated felony, as defined in subdivision (f) of this section, if sexually motivated and committed prior to the effective date of this article.

(q) "Sex offender requiring civil management" means a detained sex offender who suffers from a mental abnormality. A sex offender requiring civil management can, as determined by procedures set forth in this article, be either (1) a dangerous sex offender requiring confinement or (2) a sex offender requiring strict and intensive supervision.

(r) "Sex offender requiring strict and intensive supervision" means a detained sex offender who suffers from a mental abnormality but is not a dangerous sex offender requiring confinement.

(s) "Sexually motivated" means that the act or acts constituting a designated felony were committed in whole or in substantial part for the purpose of direct sexual gratification of the actor.

N.Y. Mental Hyg. Law § 10.03

Amended by New York Laws 2022, ch. 486,Sec. 17, eff. 8/8/2022.

Amended by New York Laws 2018, ch. 189,Sec. 19, eff. 11/13/2018.

Amended by New York Laws 2015, ch. 368,Sec. 34, eff. 1/19/2016.