What's happening
This bill expands assault protections to include sanitation workers and a broader range of nursing professionals.
Why it matters
Expands legal protections to more frontline workers. By including all sanitation workers (not just those in New York City) and a broader array of nursing professionals (nurse practitioners, certified nursing assistants, licensed practical nurses), the bill acknowledges the risks faced by these groups and seeks to deter assaults against them.
Raises consequences for assaulting additional healthcare staff. The bill strengthens penalties for causing physical injury to the newly included nursing roles, reflecting the critical and often vulnerable nature of their work environments.
Addresses real-world workplace risks. The expansion responds to increasing reports of violence against sanitation workers and healthcare staff, aiming to bolster worker safety and reinforce that attacks on these professionals are taken seriously under the law.
Signals social and institutional recognition. By naming these professions in the penal code, the legislation elevates their status as essential workers deserving of specific legal protections, potentially improving morale and public respect for these roles.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Nurses and Sanitation Workers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
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.
Protect Nurses and Sanitation Workers
In Assembly Committee · Codes · Sponsor Kenneth P. LaValle
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4590
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 3, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. PRETLOW, MAYER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to assaults on department of sanitation workers and nursing professionals
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivisions 3 and 11 of section 120.05 of the penal law, subdivision 3 as amended by chapter 267 of the laws of 2016 and subdivision 11 as separately amended by chapters 268 and 281 of the laws of 2016, are amended to read as follows:
3. With intent to prevent a peace officer, a police officer, prosecutor as defined in subdivision thirty-one of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law, [registered] a nursing professional including nurse practitioner, certified or licensed nurse practitioners, certified nursing assistants, licensed practical [nurse] nurses, public health sanitarian, New York city public health sanitarian, sanitation enforcement agent, [New York city] sanitation worker, a firefighter, including a firefighter acting as a paramedic or emergency medical technician administering first aid in the course of performance of duty as such firefighter, an emergency medical service paramedic or emergency medical service technician, or medical or related personnel in a hospital emergency department, a city marshal, a school crossing guard appointed pursuant to section two hundred eight-a of the general municipal law, a traffic enforcement officer, traffic enforcement agent or employee of any entity governed by the public service law in the course of performing an essential service, from performing a lawful duty, by means including releasing or failing to control an animal under circumstances evincing the actor's intent that the animal obstruct the lawful activity of such peace officer, police officer, prosecutor as defined in subdivision thirty-one of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law, [registered nurse, licensed practical nurse] nursing professional, public health
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09190-01-7
A. 4590 2
sanitarian, New York city public health sanitarian, sanitation enforcement agent, [New York city] sanitation worker, firefighter, paramedic, technician, city marshal, school crossing guard appointed pursuant to section two hundred eight-a of the general municipal law, traffic enforcement officer, traffic enforcement agent or employee of an entity governed by the public service law, he or she causes physical injury to such peace officer, police officer, prosecutor as defined in subdivision thirty-one of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law, [registered nurse, licensed practical nurse] nursing professional, public health sanitarian, New York city public health sanitarian, sanitation enforcement agent, [New York city] sanitation worker, firefighter, paramedic, technician or medical or related personnel in a hospital emergency department, city marshal, school crossing guard, traffic enforcement officer, traffic enforcement agent or employee of an entity governed by the public service law; or
11. With intent to cause physical injury to a train operator, ticket inspector, conductor, signalperson, bus operator, station agent, station cleaner or terminal cleaner employed by any transit agency, authority or company, public or private, whose operation is authorized by New York state or any of its political subdivisions, a city marshal, a school crossing guard appointed pursuant to section two hundred eight-a of the general municipal law, a traffic enforcement officer, traffic enforcement agent, prosecutor as defined in subdivision thirty-one of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law, sanitation enforcement agent, [New York city] sanitation worker, public health sanitarian, New York city public health sanitarian, [registered] a nursing professional including nurse[,] practitioners, or certified licensed practical [nurse] nurses, emergency medical service paramedic, or emergency medical service technician, he or she causes physical injury to such train operator, ticket inspector, conductor, signalperson, bus operator, station agent, station cleaner or terminal cleaner, city marshal, school crossing guard appointed pursuant to section two hundred eight-a of the general municipal law, traffic enforcement officer, traffic enforcement agent, prosecutor as defined in subdivision thirty-one of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law, [registered nurse, licensed practical nurse] nursing professional, public health sanitarian, New York city public health sanitarian, sanitation enforcement agent, [New York city] sanitation worker, emergency medical service paramedic, or emergency medical service technician, while such employee is performing an assigned duty on, or directly related to, the operation of a train or bus, including the cleaning of a train or bus station or terminal, or such city marshal, school crossing guard, traffic enforcement officer, traffic enforcement agent, prosecutor as defined in subdivision thirty-one of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law, [registered nurse, licensed practical nurse] nursing professional, public health sanitarian, New York city public health sanitarian, sanitation enforcement agent, [New York city] sanitation worker, emergency medical service paramedic, or emergency medical service technician is performing an assigned duty; or
§ 2. 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.