Senator Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr. has announced that the New York State Senate had passed legislation establishing a state senior citizen vision services program. According to Fuschillo, the provisions of the bill would provide comprehensive services to elderly individuals who are visually impaired. Elderly persons would be eligible for services if they suffered from a visual impairment that substantially interfered with their ability to perform routine daily tasks, even if they were not regarded as "legally blind."

"These services are designed to maintain the independence of individuals who incur functional visual impairment with the onset of age," Fuschillo said. "By intervening in a timely fashion and linking the senior to appropriate services, we can assist in maintaining the senior's health and welfare as well as quality of life."

According to the senator, the provisions of the bill would include client assessment, information and referral for health care services, client and family counseling and education, technical assistance for human services agencies without experience serving the blind or visually impaired.

Senator Fuschillo, recently announced the NYS Senate passed legislation to authorize the imposition of a sentence of life imprisonment without parole for persistent violent felony offenders. The measure would affect defendants who have committed three or more violent felonies within ten years.

"Even though the state increased penalties in 1995, official statistics indicate that persistent violent felony offenders are incarcerated for an average of only nine years," said Fushcillo. "These are criminals convicted and sentenced to prison for horrific offenses such as kidnapping and rape - not once, but over and over again. By getting them off the street once and for all, this legislation makes a strong commitment to the safety of our children and the security of our communities."

The measure will require a defendant, who is determined by the court to be a persistent violent felony offender, to be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. To be classified as such, each of the defendant's two prior violent felonies must have been committed after sentencing for the previous violent felony.

Felony offenses include kidnapping, first degree rape or sodomy; first or second degree robbery, burglary, assault, or aggravated sexual abuse.

The legislation was sent to the assembly.