New York Senate Committee Advances Bill Allowing Parolees and Probationers to Work in Legal Marijuana Industry

A New York Senate committee has  advanced legislation that would allow individuals on parole, probation, or other forms of state supervision to work in the legal cannabis industry. The Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee approved Senate Bill 6181 in a 6 to 1 vote, sending the measure to the full Senate for consideration. The bill is sponsored by Senator Kevin Parker (D).

The proposal would update state law to make clear that individuals who are required to maintain employment as a condition of their supervision may satisfy that requirement by working for a licensed marijuana business—unless the specific terms of their parole, probation, or supervision explicitly prohibit such employment.

As written, the bill states that a person under state supervision “may fulfill such employment requirement through employment at any licensee under this chapter unless the terms and conditions of said parole, probation, or state supervision explicitly prohibit such person’s employment at such licensee.”

The committee’s approval marks the second consecutive year the measure has cleared the panel. In 2025, the same committee approved the bill by a 5 to 2 vote. It later passed the full Senate but ultimately stalled in the Assembly, preventing it from reaching Governor Kathy Hochul’s desk.

With this year’s 6 to 1 vote, supporters will again look to move the proposal through the full Senate and avoid a repeat of last session, when the measure failed to advance in the Assembly.