What's happening
This bill expands first degree harassment to include physically contacting or threatening school employees while performing their duties.
Why it matters
Expands legal protections for school employees. by specifically including them in first degree harassment laws, recognizing their unique vulnerability to threats and physical contact while performing their duties.
May serve as a deterrent against harassment or violence in school settings. , potentially making it safer for teachers, administrators, and staff to carry out their responsibilities without fear of targeted aggression.
Reflects societal concern about the safety of educational environments. , responding to increased reports of school-based incidents and aiming to uphold respect for those who work in schools.
Could result in more criminal charges being brought against individuals who threaten or physically contact school employees. , signaling a policy shift toward stricter consequences for such behavior.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect School Employees from Assault
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
3 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to codes
- Held for consideration in codes
- Referred to codes
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2273
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. HAWLEY -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARCLAY, CROUCH, FINCH, McDONOUGH, PALMESANO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to harassment in the first degree
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 240.00 of the penal law is amended by adding a new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
7. "School employee" means any person employed by an elementary or secondary school, public or private, or by the school district or other entity administering such school.
§ 2. Section 240.25 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 109 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows: § 240.25 Harassment in the first degree.
A person is guilty of harassment in the first degree when:
1. he or she intentionally and repeatedly harasses another person by following such person in or about a public place or places or by engaging in a course of conduct or by repeatedly committing acts which [places] place such person in reasonable fear of physical injury, or
2. he or she strikes, shoves, kicks or otherwise subjects a school employee to physical contact, or attempts or threatens to do the same, while such school employee is engaged in or on account of the performance of the duties of such school employee. This section shall not apply to activities regulated by the national labor relations act, as amended, the railway labor act, as amended, or the federal employment labor management act, as amended.
Harassment in the first degree is a class B misdemeanor.
§ 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.
LBD02088-01-9
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.