Bill To Establish “New York State Terror Registry”

State Senator James Seward announced yesterday Senate passage of a bill he co-sponsored that would establish the “New York State Terror Registry.” The public-safety measure would require anyone convicted of state or federal crimes of terrorism to register with the Division of Criminal Justice Services, and would make their non-confidential information available to the public.  Senator Seward said, “Terrorism is among the gravest dangers we face as Americans, and the number of threats against us is growing daily,” “It is vital that we are aware of individuals who wish to do us harm and we need to employ every single tool at our disposal to maintain the public’s safety and well being. By creating a terrorist registry we can help protect lives, our freedoms, and all that we hold dear.”  He added that the new bill is modeled after Megan’s Law, which established the New York State Sex Offender Registry. If someone’s conduct has previously resulted in a conviction for crime of terrorism, he would be required to complete a standardized registration form.