New York S 3933: Requires background checks prior to employment in a position involving substantial contact with children while dressed as a children's character

Bill Text

Bill Search and Legislative Information | New York State Assembly 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

 Skip to main content 

 New York State Assembly

 Speaker Carl E. Heastie

 --> 
 --> 

 --> 

• 
 Assembly Members 

• 
 Legislative Info 

• 
 Public Hearings 

• 
 Speaker's Press 

• 
 Assembly Reports 

• 
 Committees & More 

• Bill Search Home
• Laws
• Legislative Calendar
• Public Hearing Schedule
• Assembly Calendars
• Assembly Committee Agenda 

 Javascript must be enabled to properly view this page. 

 Bill No.: 

• Summary 
• Actions 
• Committee&nbspVotes 
• Floor&nbspVotes 
• Memo 
• Text 
• LFIN 
• Chamber&nbspVideo/Transcript 
S03933 Summary:

BILL NOS03933 

&nbsp

SAME ASSAME AS A05813

&nbsp

SPONSORSKOUFIS

&nbsp

COSPNSR

&nbsp

MLTSPNSR

&nbsp

Ren §168-w to be §168-x, add §168-w, Cor L

&nbsp

Requires background checks for a person prior to employment in a position involving substantial contact with children while dressed as a children's character; provides certain penalties for violations.

Go to top S03933 Actions:

BILL NOS03933 

&nbsp

01/30/2025REFERRED TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION

01/07/2026REFERRED TO CRIME VICTIMS, CRIME AND CORRECTION

Go to topS03933 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS03933 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS03933 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 3933

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 January 30, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sen. SKOUFIS -- 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 correction law, in relation to employment of sex
 offenders in a position involving substantial contact with children
 while dressed as a children's character

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. Section 168-w of the correction law, as renumbered by chap-
 2 ter 604 of the laws of 2005, is renumbered 168-x and a new section 168-w
 3 is added to read as follows:
 4 § 168-w. Employment in a position involving substantial contact with
 5 children dressed as a children's character. 1. No sex offender shall
 6 apply for or accept a position which involves substantial contact with
 7 children while said person is dressed as a children's character. Such
 8 position shall include any job, task or occupation, which by its nature,
 9 requires a person to be dressed as a children's character and in
 10 substantial contact with children in the regular performance of their
 11 duties or dealings in such position. This section shall also apply to
 12 any person seeking a permit or permission to execute any activity or
 13 performance while dressed as a children's character that would present a
 14 direct contact with children.
 15 2. As used in this section, the following terms shall have the follow-
 16 ing meanings:
 17 a. "Position" shall apply to any person seeking employment either paid
 18 or unpaid, any person seeking to volunteer, or any person seeking a
 19 permit or permission that would present a substantial contact with chil-
 20 dren while dressed as a children's character.
 21 b. "Children's character" shall mean any costume worn by a person to
 22 depict a specific character to children and shall include but not be
 23 limited to:

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD06999-01-5

 S. 3933 2

 1 i. legendary figures such as Santa Claus or the Easter bunny;
 2 ii. mythical characters; and
 3 iii. any such similar children's character that a person may dress as
 4 for a position which involves substantial contact with children.
 5 c. "Substantial contact with children" shall mean allowing children to
 6 sit on such person dressed as a character's lap, having photos taken
 7 with children while such person is dressed as a children's character or
 8 any other activity that involves physical contact with children while
 9 such person is dressed as a children's character.
 10 3. Examples of such employment shall include, but shall not be limited
 11 to, being dressed as a children's character at:
 12 a. Any shopping mall or shopping center event specifically targeted
 13 toward children interacting with such a character, such as but not
 14 limited to photos with Santa;
 15 b. Any store event that is specifically targeted toward children
 16 interacting with such a character;
 17 c. Any such similar event that promotes activities targeted toward
 18 children interacting with such a character.
 19 4. Employers, organizations and government entities shall have access
 20 to the statewide central registry of child abuse and maltreatment, the
 21 New York state sex offender registry, the criminal history repository
 22 with the division of criminal justice services, the natio