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Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to health
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Prohibits protests from being made within 1000 feet of a bereavement service
In Assembly Committee · Health · Sponsor Michael DenDekker
Full text
The text isn't available here yet. Check nysenate.gov.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the public health law, in relation to protests conducted near bereavement services
Purpose
To respectfully allow people to grieve the loss of loved ones without interference from organizers or individuals protesting a certain cause in relation to the bereavement service or outside its intent, and within close proximity of the bereavement service.
Summary of provisions
A new section, 3444, is amended in to the Public Health law.
Existing law
There is no established law in New York State that dissuades organizations or individuals from harassing the grieving party at a bereavement service whether the service takes place inside or outside a building.
Justification
The necessity for this law stems from the recent protest before the bereavement service of the late Lance Corporal Matthew A. Snyder, a twenty year old heterosexual male, whose intermediate family was wrongfully subjected to homosexual taunts from a congregation in another State. The congregation, upset with the United States tolerance toward homosexuality, believes military deaths are a result of this belief and are thus subject to the staging of protests.
This example is one of many where groups or individuals will utilize the First Amendment's right of "free speech" inappropriately, The cause simply does not justify this belief and should not be allowed out of respect to family members before the grieving party. Rather, the actions borderline on invasion of privacy and the intent to inflict emotional distress.
It is our intent through the passage of this legislation that funeral directors, administrators, or any other person in charge of the bereavement service will have control and the ability to make a final decision where protests can be staged, if of a necessity, outside from the service and at least one thousand feet away.
Legislative history
New bill.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.