What's happening
This bill expands the definition of forcible touching to include acts committed in locations where the victim cannot easily avoid contact.
Why it matters
Expands the scope of protection. By including acts committed in places where victims can't easily avoid contact, the bill acknowledges the increased vulnerability of individuals in confined or inescapable spaces (like elevators, crowded rooms, or locked offices), closing loopholes that previously limited prosecution only to certain public transit situations.
Targets intentional selection of location. The bill specifically penalizes offenders who deliberately choose environments that make it hard for victims to escape, recognizing this as an aggravating factor and sending a message that calculated predatory behavior will face enhanced scrutiny.
Addresses real-world patterns of abuse. Many instances of forcible touching occur in places where victims feel trapped or unable to leave without risk or embarrassment. By broadening the law, the bill better reflects the realities of how and where these offenses often occur, potentially increasing victim willingness to report and the likelihood of successful prosecution.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Forcible Touching Definition
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3111
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 26, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. LENTOL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to forcible touching
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 130.52 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 264 of the laws of 2003, the opening paragraph and subdivision 1 as amended and subdivision 2 as added by chapter 250 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows: § 130.52 Forcible touching.
A person is guilty of forcible touching when such person intentionally, and for no legitimate purpose:
1. forcibly touches the sexual or other intimate parts of another person for the purpose of degrading or abusing such person, or for the purpose of gratifying the actor's sexual desire; [or]
2. subjects another person to sexual contact for the purpose of gratifying the actor's sexual desire and with intent to degrade or abuse such other person while such other person is a passenger on a bus, train, or subway car operated by any transit agency, authority or company, public or private, whose operation is authorized by New York state or any of its political subdivisions[.]; or
3. touches the sexual or other intimate parts of another person, or subjects another person to sexual contact, for any such purpose, and the actor intentionally selected for such act or acts a location that made it difficult or impossible for the victim to avoid such touching or sexual contact.
For the purposes of this section, forcible touching includes squeezing, grabbing or pinching.
Forcible touching is a class A misdemeanor.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03978-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.