What's happening
This bill expands criminal impersonation laws to include pretending to be a first responder, EMT, advanced EMT, or firefighter.
Why it matters
Broadens legal consequences for impersonating emergency personnel. , potentially deterring individuals from falsely claiming to be EMTs, advanced EMTs, first responders, or firefighters—a growing public safety concern as impersonators could gain access to emergencies or secure areas.
Aims to protect public trust in emergency services. , as impersonation can undermine confidence in legitimate responders and put both the public and actual professionals at risk during crises or disasters.
Strengthens legal protections for emergency workers. by recognizing that their roles, like those of police officers, are critical to public safety and therefore deserving of specific safeguards against impersonation.
May lead to increased prosecution and harsher penalties for offenders. , signaling a legislative intent to address not just police impersonation but the broader spectrum of public safety impersonation in New York State.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Ban Impersonating Emergency Workers
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
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History
- Enacting clause stricken
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2424
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. GANTT -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to criminal impersonation of a certified first responder, an emergency medical technician, an advanced emergency medical technician, or a firefighter
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 190.25 of the penal law is amended by adding a new subdivision 5 to read as follows:
5. Pretends to be a police officer, certified first responder, emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician, or firefighter without any actual or implied authority to do so.
§ 2. Subdivision 1 of section 190.26 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 434 of the laws of 2008, is amended to read as follows:
1. Pretends to be a police officer [or a], federal law enforcement officer as enumerated in section 2.15 of the criminal procedure law, certified first responder, emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician or firefighter, or wears or displays without authority, any uniform, badge or other insignia or facsimile thereof, by which such police officer [or], federal law enforcement officer, certified first responder, emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician or firefighter is lawfully distinguished; or expresses by his or her words or actions that he or she is acting with the approval or authority of any police department or acting as a federal law enforcement officer with the approval of any agency that employs federal law enforcement officers as enumerated in section 2.15 of the criminal procedure law; and
§ 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.
LBD00971-01-9
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.