1. Definitions. As used in this section the following terms shall have the following meanings:

1. (a) "eligible offender" means a person under the custody of the department or confined in a facility in the department of mental hygiene, other than a person who is subject to a sentence imposed for murder in the first degree as defined in section 125.27 of the penal law, an offense defined in article one hundred thirty of such law, or an attempt or a conspiracy to commit any such offense, who is otherwise subject to:

   1. (i) an indeterminate sentence imposed for any class A-I felony offense other than criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree as defined in section 220.21 of the penal law or criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first degree as defined in section 220.43 of such law or an attempt or a conspiracy to commit such controlled substance offense; or
   2. (ii) an indeterminate or determinate sentence imposed for an offense listed in subdivision one of section 70.02 of the penal law; or
   3. (iii) an indeterminate or determinate sentence imposed for an offense defined in article one hundred twenty-five of the penal law.

2. (b) "limited credit time benefit" means:

   1. (i) in the case of an eligible offender who is subject to an indeterminate sentence with a maximum term of life imprisonment, such offender shall be eligible for release six months before the completion of the controlling minimum period of imprisonment as defined by subdivision one of section 70.40 of the penal law; or

   2. (ii)

      1. (A) in the case of an eligible offender who is not subject to an indeterminate sentence with a maximum term of life imprisonment, such offender shall be eligible for conditional release six months earlier than as provided by paragraph (b) of subdivision one of section 70.40 of the penal law, provided that the department determines such offender has earned the full amount of good time authorized by section eight hundred three of this article; the withholding of any good behavior time credit by the department shall render an incarcerated individual ineligible for the credit defined herein;
      2. (B) in the event the limited credit time benefit defined herein causes such conditional release date to precede the parole eligibility date as calculated pursuant to subdivision one of section 70.40 of the penal law, a limited credit time benefit shall also be applied to the parole eligibility date, but only to the extent necessary to cause such parole eligibility date to be the same date as the conditional release date;
      3. (C) an incarcerated individual shall not be eligible for the credit defined herein if he or she is returned to the department pursuant to a revocation of presumptive release, parole, conditional release, or post-release supervision and has not been sentenced to an additional indeterminate or determinate term of imprisonment.
   3. (iii) Regardless of the number of sentences to which an eligible offender is subject, the limited credit time benefit authorized pursuant to this section shall be limited to a single six-month credit applied to such person's parole eligibility date pursuant to subparagraph (i) of this paragraph or to such person's conditional release date pursuant to subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph. Except as provided in clause (B) of subparagraph (ii) of this paragraph, the limited credit time benefit authorized pursuant to this section shall not be applied to an eligible offender's parole eligibility date and conditional release date.

3. (c) "significant programmatic accomplishment" means that the incarcerated individual:

   1. (i) participates in no less than two years of college programming; or
   2. (ii) obtains an associate degree, bachelor's degree, master's degree or doctoral degree by completing a registered program from a New York state degree-granting institution, or a program offered by an out-of-state institution of higher education authorized to offer post-secondary distance education in New York state pursuant to applicable rules and regulations promulgated by the education department of the state of New York; or
   3. (iii) successfully participates as an incarcerated individual program associate for no less than two years; or
   4. (iv) receives a certification from the state department of labor for his or her successful participation in an apprenticeship program; or
   5. (v) successfully works as an incarcerated individual hospice aid for a period of no less than two years; or
   6. (vi) successfully works in the division of correctional industries' optical program for no less than two years and receives a certification as an optician from the American board of opticianry; or
   7. (vii) receives an asbestos handling certificate from the department of labor upon successful completion of the training program and then works in the division of correctional industries' asbestos abatement program as a hazardous materials removal worker or group leader for no less than eighteen months; or
   8. (viii) successfully completes the course curriculum and passes the minimum competency screening process performance examination for sign language interpreter, and then works as a sign language interpreter for deaf incarcerated individuals for no less than one year; or
   9. (ix) successfully works in the puppies behind bars program for a period of no less than two years; or
   10. (x) successfully participates in a vocational culinary arts program for a period of no less than two years and earns a servsafe certificate that is recognized by the national restaurant association; or
   11. (xi) successfully completes the four hundred ninety hour training program while assigned to a department of motor vehicles call center, and continues to work at such call center for an additional twenty-one months; or
   12. (xii) receives a certificate from the food production center in an assigned position following the completion of no less than eight hundred hours of work in such position, and continues to work for an additional eighteen months at the food production center; or
   13. (xiii) successfully completes a program of not less than eighteen months as established by the commissioner.
4. (d) "serious disciplinary infraction" or "overall poor institutional record" shall be defined in regulations promulgated by the commissioner and need not be the same as the regulations promulgated for the meaning of serious disciplinary infraction pursuant to paragraph (d) of subdivision one of section eight hundred three of this article.
5. (e) "disqualifying judicial determination" means a judicial determination that the person, while an incarcerated individual, commenced or continued a civil action or proceeding or claim that was found to be frivolous as defined in subdivision (c) of section eight thousand three hundred three-a of the civil practice law and rules, or an order of a federal court pursuant to rule 11 of the federal rules of civil procedure imposing sanctions in an action commenced by a person while an incarcerated individual against a state agency, officer or employee.

2. Every eligible offender under the custody of the department or confined in a facility in the department of mental hygiene may earn a limited credit time allowance if such offender successfully participates in the work and treatment program assigned pursuant to section eight hundred five of this article and:

1. (a) successfully completes one or more significant programmatic accomplishments; and
2. (b) has not committed a serious disciplinary infraction or maintained an overall negative institutional record as defined in rules and regulations promulgated by the commissioner; and
3. (c) has not received a disqualifying judicial determination.