What's happening
This bill creates new felony offenses for intentionally staging motor vehicle accidents to commit insurance fraud, especially if injury or death occurs.
Why it matters
Targets organized insurance fraud schemes. By criminalizing both the act of intentionally causing a collision and soliciting others to do so, the bill aims to disrupt staged accident rings that exploit insurance systems and drive up costs for all policyholders.
Escalates penalties when harm is caused. The law introduces harsher consequences (a class D felony) if the staged accident results in serious injury or death to innocent parties, reflecting the greater societal harm and serving as a stronger deterrent.
Addresses public safety risks. Staged accidents endanger not only targeted victims but also bystanders and emergency responders; this law seeks to reduce those risks by making such schemes explicitly and severely punishable.
Fills gaps in existing fraud statutes. By specifically defining and penalizing staged motor vehicle accidents, the legislation provides law enforcement and prosecutors with clearer tools to charge and convict perpetrators, who previously might have only faced lesser fraud charges.
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
Ban Fake Car Crashes
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
5074
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 6, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. WEPRIN -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to staging a motor vehicle accident
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Alice's Law".
§ 2. The penal law is amended by adding two new sections 176.75 and 176.80 to read as follows: § 176.75 Staging a motor vehicle accident in the second degree.
A person is guilty of staging a motor vehicle accident in the second degree when, with intent to commit a fraudulent insurance act, he or she:
(1) operates a motor vehicle and intentionally causes or attempts to cause a collision involving a motor vehicle; or
(2) solicits, requests, commands, importunes or otherwise attempts to cause another person to intentionally cause a collision involving a motor vehicle.
Staging a motor vehicle accident in the second degree is a class E felony. § 176.80 Staging a motor vehicle accident in the first degree.
A person is guilty of staging a motor vehicle accident in the first degree when he or she commits the offense of staging a motor vehicle accident in the second degree and causes serious personal injury or death to another person, other than a participant in such offense.
Staging a motor vehicle accident in the first degree is a class D felony.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09085-01-7
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.