What's happening
This bill adds operators and crew of passenger commuter ferries to the list of transit workers protected by felony assault laws.
Why it matters
Expands felony assault protections to ferry workers. , recognizing that operators and crew of passenger commuter ferries face similar risks as other transit personnel, and addressing a previous gap in legal protections for these employees.
May deter violent behavior on ferries. by increasing the legal consequences (class D felony) for assaults against ferry crew, potentially making commutes safer for both workers and passengers.
Signals the state’s acknowledgment of ferries as vital public transit. , putting them on equal footing with buses and trains in terms of worker safety, which could support broader investment and attention to ferry infrastructure and operations.
Could impact labor relations and workforce morale. , as ferry workers may feel more valued and protected, potentially aiding in recruitment and retention for these essential public service positions.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Ferry Operators from Assault
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to codes
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 60–0
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.284
- Referred to codes
- Returned to senate
- Died in assembly
- Referred to codes
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 62–0
Show 5 earlier actions
- Ordered to third reading cal.1307
- Committee discharged and committed to rules
- Print number 4171a
- Amend (t) and recommit 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.
Protect Ferry Workers from Assault
In Assembly Committee · Codes · Sponsor Fred Thiele
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4171--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 4, 2019
Introduced by Sen. MARTINEZ -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to assaults upon passenger commuter ferry operators or crew
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 11 of section 120.05 of the penal law, as separately amended by chapters 268 and 281 of the laws of 2016, is amended to read as follows:
11. With intent to cause physical injury to a train operator, ticket inspector, conductor, signalperson, bus operator, operator or crew of a passenger commuter ferry as defined in subdivision (n) of section three hundred of the tax law, station agent, station cleaner or terminal cleaner employed by any transit agency, authority or company, public or private, whose operation is authorized by New York state or any of its political subdivisions, a city marshal, a school crossing guard appointed pursuant to section two hundred eight-a of the general municipal law, a traffic enforcement officer, traffic enforcement agent, prosecutor as defined in subdivision thirty-one of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law, sanitation enforcement agent, New York city sanitation worker, public health sanitarian, New York city public health sanitarian, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, emergency medical service paramedic, or emergency medical service technician, he or she causes physical injury to such train operator, ticket inspector, conductor, signalperson, bus operator, station agent, station cleaner or terminal cleaner, city marshal, school crossing guard appointed pursuant to section two hundred eight-a of the general municipal law, traffic enforcement officer, traffic enforcement agent, prosecutor as defined in subdivision thirty-one of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law,
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09713-02-9
S. 4171--A 2
registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, public health sanitarian, New York city public health sanitarian, sanitation enforcement agent, New York city sanitation worker, emergency medical service paramedic, or emergency medical service technician, while such employee is performing an assigned duty on, or directly related to, the operation of a train or bus, including the cleaning of a train or bus station or terminal, or such city marshal, school crossing guard, traffic enforcement officer, traffic enforcement agent, prosecutor as defined in subdivision thirtyone of section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law, registered nurse, licensed practical nurse, public health sanitarian, New York city public health sanitarian, sanitation enforcement agent, New York city sanitation worker, emergency medical service paramedic, or emergency medical service technician is performing an assigned duty; or
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
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 assaults upon passenger commuter ferry operators or crew
Purpose
This legislation would bring parity to the law in categorizing ferry captains and crew in the same manner as other transit agencies.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. Amend the Penal law to add passenger commuter ferry operator or crew as a protected class
Section 2. Effective Date.
Justification
Current law only provides for an individual assaulting a ferry captain or ferry crew member to be charged with assault in the 3rd degree. Due to this oversight in the law, a ferry captain who is assaulted on the job is not currently covered under the assault in the 2nd degree defi- nition protecting transit workers.
It is absolutely unacceptable that some transit workers are left unpro- tected by current law. Every individual has the right to feel secure and safe in their workplace. New York needs to protect passenger ferry work- ers who provide an essential service to New York commuters and visitors.
Prior legislative history
None.
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.