STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6946 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY March 18, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. MORINELLO -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to making sex trafficking a violent felony The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 1 of section 70.02 of the 2 penal law, as amended by chapter 23 of the laws of 2024, is amended to 3 read as follows: 4 (a) Class B violent felony offenses: an attempt to commit the class 5 A-I felonies of murder in the second degree as defined in section 6 125.25, kidnapping in the first degree as defined in section 135.25, and 7 arson in the first degree as defined in section 150.20; manslaughter in 8 the first degree as defined in section 125.20, aggravated manslaughter 9 in the first degree as defined in section 125.22, rape in the first 10 degree as defined in section 130.35, a crime formerly defined in section 11 130.50, aggravated sexual abuse in the first degree as defined in 12 section 130.70, course of sexual conduct against a child in the first 13 degree as defined in section 130.75, assault in the first degree as 14 defined in section 120.10, kidnapping in the second degree as defined in 15 section 135.20, burglary in the first degree as defined in section 16 140.30, arson in the second degree as defined in section 150.15, robbery 17 in the first degree as defined in section 160.15, sex trafficking as 18 defined in [~~paragraphs (a) and (b) of subdivision five of~~] section 19 230.34, sex trafficking of a child as defined in section 230.34-a, 20 incest in the first degree as defined in section 255.27, criminal 21 possession of a weapon in the first degree as defined in section 265.04, 22 criminal use of a firearm in the first degree as defined in section 23 265.09, criminal sale of a firearm in the first degree as defined in 24 section 265.13, aggravated assault upon a police officer or a peace 25 officer as defined in section 120.11, gang assault in the first degree EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD10102-01-5

A. 6946 2 1 as defined in section 120.07, intimidating a victim or witness in the 2 first degree as defined in section 215.17, hindering prosecution of 3 terrorism in the first degree as defined in section 490.35, criminal 4 possession of a chemical weapon or biological weapon in the second 5 degree as defined in section 490.40, and criminal use of a chemical 6 weapon or biological weapon in the third degree as defined in section 7 490.47. 8 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

Makes sex trafficking a violent felony

What's Happening

Why It Matters