 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          6565
 
                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                     March 17, 2025
                                       ___________
 
        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 arson in the first degree
 
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section  1. Section 150.20 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 950
     2  of the laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows:
     3  § 150.20 Arson in the first degree.
     4    1. A person is guilty of arson in the  first  degree  when  [he]  such
     5  person  intentionally  damages a building or motor vehicle by causing an
     6  explosion or a fire and when (a) such explosion or fire is caused by  or
     7  accelerated by use of ignitable liquid or flammable gas or an incendiary
     8  device propelled, thrown [or], placed or otherwise dispersed or distrib-
     9  uted  inside or near such building or motor vehicle; or when such explo-
    10  sion or fire is caused by an explosive; or when such explosion  or  fire
    11  either (i) causes serious physical injury to another person other than a
    12  participant,  or (ii) the explosion or fire was caused with the expecta-
    13  tion or receipt of financial advantage or pecuniary profit by the actor;
    14  and when (b) another person who is not a participant  in  the  crime  is
    15  present  in  such  building  or  motor  vehicle at the time; and (c) the
    16  defendant knows that fact or the circumstances are such as to render the
    17  presence of such person therein a reasonable possibility.
    18    2. As used in this section, "incendiary  device"  means  a  [breakable
    19  container]   device   designed   to  [explode  or]  produce  uncontained
    20  combustion [upon impact, containing flammable liquid and having  a  wick
    21  or  a  similar  device  capable of being ignited] or used as a source of
    22  ignition.
    23    Arson in the first degree is a class A-I felony.
    24    § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day  after  it  shall
    25  have become a law.
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD10691-01-5
Relates to arson in the first degree

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