Senate Passes Corrections Law Bills Co-Sponsored by Avella

The state legislature has passed four bills co-sponsored by state Sen. Tony Avella, D-Bayside, that address everything from the sex offender registry to illegal drug sales.  

The bills, which are related to the state’s penal and correction laws, passed in the state Senate on April 29.  

“Passing the four bipartisan bills into law is crucial for the legislature’s effort to create appropriate penalties for convictions of terrible crimes,” Avella said.  

The first bill establishes the class B felony for criminal sale of a controlled substance by a pharmacist or practitioner.  

Another bill increased the penalty for theft of property by a person who possesses an item designed to block or otherwise override security markings, tags or attachments placed on property offered for sale.  

A third bill calls increases the punishment for failing to register as a sex offender from a class A misdemeanor to a class D felony.  

And the final bill requires that school districts distribute information on sex offenders residing in the surrounding area to parents of students.  

The bills had also been passed in the Senate during the previous legislative session, but did not pass in the Assembly.