What's happening
This bill makes it a class E felony to knowingly file a false accusatory instrument with law enforcement in New York.
Why it matters
Raises the stakes for filing false police reports. By making it a class E felony to knowingly file a false accusatory instrument, this law creates serious legal consequences (potential prison time) for intentionally making false criminal accusations, which could deter malicious or frivolous complaints.
Protects individuals from wrongful criminal investigation. The bill aims to reduce the risk that innocent people are subjected to stressful, damaging, and costly criminal investigations or prosecutions based on knowingly false claims.
Supports integrity of the legal system. Establishing a felony-level penalty for submitting false accusations helps reinforce trust in law enforcement and the justice process, signaling that the state takes perjury and abuse of legal procedures seriously.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Make False Accusations Illegal
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
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.
Criminalize False Accusations
In Assembly Committee · Codes · Sponsor Andrew J. Lanza
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6541
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 9, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. CUSICK -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to the crime of falsely accusing someone of a crime
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 240.49 to read as follows: § 240.49 Falsely accusing someone of a crime.
A person is guilty of falsely accusing someone of a crime when he or she signs and submits an accusatory instrument with a member of law enforcement and does so knowing the content of the accusatory instrument is false.
Falsely accusing someone of a crime is a class E felony.
§ 2. 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.
LBD02421-01-7
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.