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S6291Senate2017-2018 Session

Make Assaulting Social Workers Felony

Official title

“Provides that conviction of assault on a social worker which prevents him or her from performing a lawful duty is a felony”

Sponsor Andrew J. LanzaSD-24Affects Legal
Status
In Senate Committee
Rules
Impact
4/10
Low
Passage
0%

Bill progress

Step 2 of 7

In committee · Rules

What's happening

This bill makes assaulting a social worker a class C felony in New York, similar to assaulting police or emergency personnel.

Why it matters

  1. Expands legal protections for social workers. By including social workers alongside police, firefighters, and EMTs, the bill acknowledges that social workers often face similar risks of violence in the course of their duties, such as during home visits or crisis interventions.

  2. Potential deterrent effect. Making assault on a social worker a class C felony significantly raises the legal consequences, which could discourage attacks and signal that violence against social service professionals is taken seriously.

  3. May improve recruitment and retention. Enhanced legal protections could make social work a more attractive and secure profession, potentially helping with recruitment and retention at a time when many agencies face staffing shortages.

  4. Reflects evolving understanding of frontline roles. The amendment recognizes how the responsibilities of social workers increasingly place them in situations where their safety is at risk, similar to other emergency and public safety personnel.

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Headline styles

Make Assaulting Social Workers Felony

Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.

Sponsors

Primary sponsor
Andrew J. Lanza

Senator · Senate District 24

Chair, Codes

No co-sponsors yet.

History

  1. Committed to rules
  2. Advanced to third reading
  3. 2nd report cal.
  4. 1st report cal.1282
  5. Referred to codes
  6. Returned to senate
  7. Died in assembly
  8. Referred to codes
  9. Delivered to assembly
  10. Passed senateVote 61–1
  11. Ordered to third reading cal.1917
  12. Committee discharged and committed to rules
Show 1 earlier action
  1. Referred to codes

Full text

1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗

STATE OF NEW YORK

6291

2017-2018 Regular Sessions

IN SENATE

May 11, 2017

Introduced by Sen. LANZA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes

AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to making conviction of assault of a social worker a felony

The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

Section 1. Section 120.08 of the penal law, as added by chapter 632 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows: § 120.08 Assault on a peace officer, police officer, [fireman or] fire-

fighter, emergency medical services professional or social

worker.

A person is guilty of assault on a peace officer, police officer, [fireman or] firefighter, emergency medical services professional or social worker when, with intent to prevent a peace officer, police officer, a [fireman] firefighter, including a [fireman] firefighter acting as a paramedic or emergency medical technician administering first aid in the course of performance of duty as such [fireman] firefighter, [or] an emergency medical service paramedic or emergency medical service technician[,] or social worker from performing a lawful duty, he or she causes serious physical injury to such peace officer, police officer, [fireman] firefighter, paramedic [or], technician or social worker.

Assault on a peace officer, police officer, [fireman or] firefighter, emergency medical services professional or social worker is a class C 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.

LBD02420-01-7

Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.

Sponsor's memo

Title of bill

An act to amend the penal law, in relation to making conviction of assault of a social worker a felony

Purpose

Provides that conviction of assault on a social worker which prevents him or her from performing a lawful duty is a felony

Summary of provisions

Section one. Section 120.08 of the penal law, as added by chapter 632 of the laws of the 1996, is amended to make the conviction of assault on a social worker which prevents them from performing their lawful duty a felony.

Justification

This legislation would make assaulting a social worker a Felony Crime a protection that is already granted to Teachers, Police Officers, and Transit Workers.

Legislative history

2017: S.6291 - Passed Senate 2016: S.3489 - Passed Senate 2015: S.3489 - Passed Senate 2014: Referred to Codes 2011: S.2947 - Referred to Codes / A.4798 - Referred to Codes

Fiscal implications

Unknown.

Effective date

This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.

Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.