What's happening
This bill expands the crime of reckless assault of a child to include parents, guardians, and caregivers, and creates a new felony for repeat child endangerment offenses.
Why it matters
Expanding Criminal Liability. By including parents, guardians, and others legally responsible for a child in the reckless assault statute, the bill holds family members and caregivers to the same criminal standards as professional child care providers, potentially increasing legal accountability in the home setting.
Felony Consequences for Repeat Endangerment. The creation of a new class E felony for repeat offenses of endangering the welfare of a child targets individuals who have a pattern of harmful behavior, escalating the legal consequences beyond a misdemeanor if someone reoffends within five years.
Broader Impact on Parental Rights and Custody. A felony conviction under these expanded statutes could have lasting effects on an individual's parental rights, employment opportunities (especially in positions involving children), and eligibility for certain licenses, thereby raising the stakes for those accused.
Potential Deterrent and Protective Effect. By strengthening penalties and closing loopholes in existing child protection laws, the bill aims to deter future abuse and provide greater protection for children under the care of any adult, not just those in formal care arrangements.
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
Protect Kids from Caretaker Harm
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4344
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 2, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. LENTOL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law and the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to reckless assault of a child by a parent, guardian or other person legally charged with the child's care and endangering the welfare of a child
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 120.01 of the penal law, as added by chapter 600 of the laws of 1998, is amended to read as follows: § 120.01 Reckless assault of a child by a child day care provider,
parent, guardian or other person legally charged with the
child's care.
A person is guilty of reckless assault of a child by a child day care provider, parent, guardian or other person legally charged with the child's care when[,]:
1. being a child day care provider or an employee thereof, he or she recklessly causes serious physical injury to a child under the care of such provider or employee who is less than eleven years of age[.]; or
2. being a parent, guardian or other person legally charged with the care of a child less than eleven years of age, he or she recklessly causes serious physical injury to such child.
Reckless assault of a child by a child day care provider, parent, guardian or other person legally charged with the child's care is a class E felony.
§ 2. Paragraph c of subdivision 5 of section 120.40 of the penal law, as added by chapter 635 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows:
c. assault in the third degree, as defined in section 120.00; menacing in the first degree, as defined in section 120.13; menacing in the second degree, as defined in section 120.14; coercion in the first
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03715-01-7
A. 4344 2
degree, as defined in section 135.65; coercion in the second degree, as defined in section 135.60; aggravated harassment in the second degree, as defined in section 240.30; harassment in the first degree, as defined in section 240.25; menacing in the third degree, as defined in section 120.15; criminal mischief in the third degree, as defined in section 145.05; criminal mischief in the second degree, as defined in section 145.10, criminal mischief in the first degree, as defined in section 145.12; criminal tampering in the first degree, as defined in section 145.20; arson in the fourth degree, as defined in section 150.05; arson in the third degree, as defined in section 150.10; criminal contempt in the first degree, as defined in section 215.51; endangering the welfare of a child in the second degree, as defined in section 260.10; endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree, as defined in section 260.09; or
§ 3. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 260.09 to read as follows: § 260.09 Endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree.
A person is guilty of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree when, being eighteen years of age or older, he or she knowingly acts in a manner likely to be injurious to the physical, mental or moral welfare of a child less than thirteen years old, and he or she, within the previous five years, has been convicted of endangering the welfare of a child in the second degree, in violation of section 260.10 of this article or this section.
Endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree is a class E felony.
§ 4. The section heading, the opening paragraph and the closing paragraph of section 260.10 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 447 of the laws of 2010, are amended to read as follows:
Endangering the welfare of a child in the second degree.
A person is guilty of endangering the welfare of a child in the second degree when:
Endangering the welfare of a child in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor.
§ 5. Section 260.15 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 447 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows: § 260.15 Endangering the welfare of a child; defense.
In any prosecution for endangering the welfare of a child[, pursuant to section 260.10 of this article,] based upon an alleged failure or refusal to provide proper medical care or treatment to an ill child, it is an affirmative defense that the defendant (a) is a parent, guardian or other person legally charged with the care or custody of such child; and (b) is a member or adherent of an organized church or religious group the tenets of which prescribe prayer as the principal treatment for illness; and (c) treated or caused such ill child to be treated in accordance with such tenets.
§ 6. Paragraph (c) of subdivision 4 of section 509-cc of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by chapter 368 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows:
(c) The offenses referred to in subparagraph (i) of paragraph (b) of subdivision one and subparagraph (i) of paragraph (c) of subdivision two of this section that result in disqualification for a period of five years shall include a conviction under sections 100.10, 105.13, 115.05, 120.03, 120.04, 120.04-a, 120.05, 120.10, 120.25, 121.12, 121.13, 125.40, 125.45, 130.20, 130.25, 130.52, 130.55, 135.10, 135.55, 140.17, 140.25, 140.30, 145.12, 150.10, 150.15, 160.05, 160.10, 220.06, 220.09,
A. 4344 3
220.16, 220.31, 220.34, 220.60, 220.65, 221.30, 221.50, 221.55, 230.00, 230.05, 230.06, 230.11, 230.12, 230.13, 230.19, 230.20, 235.05, 235.06, 235.07, 235.21, 240.06, 245.00, 260.09, 260.10, subdivision two of section 260.20 and sections 260.25, 265.02, 265.03, 265.08, 265.09, 265.10, 265.12, 265.35 of the penal law or an attempt to commit any of the aforesaid offenses under section 110.00 of the penal law, or any similar offenses committed under a former section of the penal law, or any offenses committed under a former section of the penal law which would constitute violations of the aforesaid sections of the penal law, or any offenses committed outside this state which would constitute violations of the aforesaid sections of the penal law.
§ 7. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
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.