What's happening
This bill creates a new felony crime for doxing police, peace, or state officers or their immediate families with intent to threaten or incite violence.
Why it matters
Expands criminal liability for publishing personal info. The bill targets individuals who knowingly share restricted personal information of law enforcement or state officers (or their families) online, but only when done with intent to threaten, intimidate, or facilitate violent crime—potentially affecting activism, journalism, or online speech if it crosses these intent thresholds.
Classifies doxing as a serious felony. By making doxing under these circumstances a class D felony, the bill introduces severe penalties (up to several years in prison), signaling a strong deterrent and elevating the legal risk for those found guilty.
Impacts bail and pretrial detention. The legislation amends bail statutes to specifically include this new doxing offense as a qualifying crime, meaning judges could set bail or detain those accused, rather than mandating release for first-time or non-violent offenders as in some recent NY bail reforms.
Broadens scope to protect officers’ families. The law’s protections explicitly extend to immediate family members of police, peace, and state officers, recognizing that threats and intimidation tactics often target loved ones as a means of applying pressure or instilling fear.
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Who cares
Police officers, peace officers and state officers
The bill would make knowingly publicizing their restricted personal information with the specified intent to threaten, intimidate or enable violence a class D felony.
Officers’ immediate families
The new offense would also cover disclosure of their restricted personal information with the specified intent to threaten, intimidate or enable violence against them or the officer.
Prosecutors
The bill would create a new felony charge for disclosures meeting its knowledge and intent requirements.
Criminal defendants and defense attorneys
The new doxing charge would be eligible for bail or remand under the amended pretrial release provisions.
Headline styles
Make Doxing Cops a Crime
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred 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.
Make Doxxing Police a Crime
In Assembly Committee · Codes · Sponsor Carrie Woerner
Full text
3 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
112
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sens. GALLIVAN, BORRELLO, GRIFFO, LANZA, MATTERA, MURRAY, OBERACKER, O'MARA, ORTT, PALUMBO, RHOADS, STEC, TEDISCO, WEIK -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law and the criminal procedure law, in relation to establishing the crime of doxing a police officer, peace officer, or state officer
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 240.34 to read as follows: § 240.34 Doxing a police officer, peace officer, or state officer.
A person is guilty of doxing a police officer, peace officer, or state officer when such person knowingly makes restricted personal information about a police officer, peace officer, state officer, or a member of the immediate family of such officer, publicly available:
1. With the intent to threaten, intimidate, or incite the commission of a crime of violence against the police officer, peace officer, state officer, or a member of the immediate family of such officer; or
2. With the intent and knowledge that the restricted personal information will be used to threaten, intimidate, or facilitate the commission of a crime of violence against the police officer, peace officer, state officer, or a member of the immediate family of such officer.
Under this section, police officer and peace officer are as defined under section 1.20 of the criminal procedure law, and state officer is as defined under section two of the public officers law.
Doxing of a police officer, peace officer, or state officer shall be a class D felony.
§ 2. Paragraphs (t) and (u) of subdivision 4 of section 510.10 of the criminal procedure law, paragraph (t) as amended and paragraph (u) as
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00750-01-5
added by section 2 of subpart B of part UU of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022, are amended and a new paragraph (v) is added to read as follows:
(t) any felony or class A misdemeanor involving harm to an identifiable person or property, or any charge of criminal possession of a firearm as defined in section 265.01-b of the penal law, where such charge arose from conduct occurring while the defendant was released on [his or her] their own recognizance, released under conditions, or had yet to be arraigned after the issuance of a desk appearance ticket for a separate felony or class A misdemeanor involving harm to an identifiable person or property, or any charge of criminal possession of a firearm as defined in section 265.01-b of the penal law, provided, however, that the prosecutor must show reasonable cause to believe that the defendant committed the instant crime and any underlying crime. For the purposes of this subparagraph, any of the underlying crimes need not be a qualifying offense as defined in this subdivision. For the purposes of this paragraph, "harm to an identifiable person or property" shall include but not be limited to theft of or damage to property. However, based upon a review of the facts alleged in the accusatory instrument, if the court determines that such theft is negligible and does not appear to be in furtherance of other criminal activity, the principal shall be released on [his or her] their own recognizance or under appropriate non-monetary conditions; [or]
(u) criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree as defined in subdivision three of section 265.02 of the penal law or criminal sale of a firearm to a minor as defined in section 265.16 of the penal law[.]; or
(v) doxing a police officer, peace officer, or state officer as defined under section 240.34 of the penal law.
§ 3. Subparagraphs (xx) and (xxi) of paragraph (b) of subdivision 1 of section 530.20 of the criminal procedure law, paragraph (xx) as amended and paragraph (xxi) as added by section 4 of subpart C of part UU of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022, are amended and a new subparagraph (xxii) is added to read as follows:
(xx) any felony or class A misdemeanor involving harm to an identifiable person or property, or any charge of criminal possession of a firearm as defined in section 265.01-b of the penal law where such charge arose from conduct occurring while the defendant was released on [his or her] their own recognizance, released under conditions, or had yet to be arraigned after the issuance of a desk appearance ticket for a separate felony or class A misdemeanor involving harm to an identifiable person or property, provided, however, that the prosecutor must show reasonable cause to believe that the defendant committed the instant crime and any underlying crime. For the purposes of this subparagraph, any of the underlying crimes need not be a qualifying offense as defined in this subdivision. For the purposes of this paragraph, "harm to an identifiable person or property" shall include but not be limited to theft of or damage to property. However, based upon a review of the facts alleged in the accusatory instrument, if the court determines that such theft is negligible and does not appear to be in furtherance of other criminal activity, the principal shall be released on [his or her] their own recognizance or under appropriate non-monetary conditions; [or]
(xxi) criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree as defined in subdivision three of section 265.02 of the penal law or criminal sale of a firearm to a minor as defined in section 265.16 of the penal law[.]; or
(xxii) doxing a police officer, peace officer, or state officer as defined under section 240.34 of the penal law.
§ 4. Paragraphs (t) and (u) of subdivision 4 of section 530.40 of the criminal procedure law, paragraph (t) as amended and paragraph (u) as added by section 4 of subpart B of part UU of chapter 56 of the laws of 2022, are amended and a new paragraph (v) is added to read as follows:
(t) any felony or class A misdemeanor involving harm to an identifiable person or property, or any charge of criminal possession of a firearm as defined in section 265.01-b of the penal law, where such charge arose from conduct occurring while the defendant was released on [his or her] their own recognizance, released under conditions, or had yet to be arraigned after the issuance of a desk appearance ticket for a separate felony or class A misdemeanor involving harm to an identifiable person or property, or any charge of criminal possession of a firearm as defined in section 265.01-b of the penal law, provided, however, that the prosecutor must show reasonable cause to believe that the defendant committed the instant crime and any underlying crime. For the purposes of this subparagraph, any of the underlying crimes need not be a qualifying offense as defined in this subdivision. For the purposes of this paragraph, "harm to an identifiable person or property" shall include but not be limited to theft of or damage to property. However, based upon a review of the facts alleged in the accusatory instrument, if the court determines that such theft is negligible and does not appear to be in furtherance of other criminal activity, the principal shall be released on [his or her] their own recognizance or under appropriate non-monetary conditions; [or]
(u) criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree as defined in subdivision three of section 265.02 of the penal law or criminal sale of a firearm to a minor as defined in section 265.16 of the penal law[.]; or
(v) doxing a police officer, peace officer, or state officer as defined under section 240.34 of the penal law.
§ 5. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
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 and the criminal procedure law, in relation to establishing the crime of doxing a police officer, peace officer, or state officer
Purpose
This legislation establishes the criminal offense of doxing a police or peace officer. Makes such offense a class D felony.
Summary of provisions
Section one establishes that when a person who knowingly makes restricted personal information about a police or peace officer, or a member of the immediate family of such officer, publicly available they shall be guilty of the crime of doxing a police or peace officer.
Sections 2, 3 and 4 makes such criminal offense bail eligible. Section 5 establishes the effective date.
Justification
Members of law enforcement, in particular police and peace officers, are entrusted with protecting the unalienable rights afforded to all of us within the constitution. These dedicated public servants also take an oath to uphold our laws, which has the potential to put such officers in harms way. We owe it to our police and peace officers to provide them with adequate protections so that they can perform their necessary duties. This bill does just that.
Legislative history
2023-24: S.79A/A.1530 Referred to Codes/Referred to Codes
2021-22: S.3463/A.1281 Referred to Rules/Referred to Codes
2019-20: S.8822/A.10911 Referred to Rules/Referred to Codes
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall have become a law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.