What's happening
The bill increases criminal penalties for violent crimes against people on school grounds and allows signs marking "assault and abduction free school zones."
Why it matters
Expands the definition of “school grounds”. to include not just school buildings and immediate property, but also any area within 1,000 feet (including sidewalks, streets, and parking lots), vastly increasing the geographic scope where enhanced penalties apply and potentially affecting more incidents.
Automatically elevates felony charges. for certain violent and sexual offenses committed on or near school grounds by one category (for example, from a class D to a class C felony), meaning longer sentences and more severe consequences for those convicted.
Mandates minimum sentences for class B felonies. committed on school grounds, removing some judicial discretion and ensuring that those convicted face substantial prison time regardless of circumstances.
Authorizes localities and schools to install “assault and abduction free school zone” signs. , which could serve as both a deterrent and a public statement prioritizing safety, but may also raise concerns about stigmatization or the effectiveness of signage as a crime prevention tool.
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Who cares
Students, school staff and daycare families
The bill would increase penalties for specified felony crimes against people on school grounds, including public areas and parked vehicles within 1,000 feet of covered schools and daycare facilities.
Prosecutors, defense attorneys and criminal defendants
Covered class C, D and E felonies would be treated as one category higher, while covered class B felonies would face specified sentencing floors.
School and college administrators
Authorities at covered institutions could request signs marking assault and abduction free school zones.
State and local highway authorities
Entities with jurisdiction over highways in the defined school zones could place or permit the requested signs within highway rights of way.
Headline styles
Increase Penalties for School Crimes
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
471
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE (Prefiled)
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sens. TEDISCO, WALCZYK -- 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 highway law, in relation to violence committed on school grounds
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Suzanne's Law".
§ 2. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 70.12 to read as follows: § 70.12 Sentence of imprisonment for a crime committed against a person
on school grounds.
1. Definition of a crime committed against a person on school grounds. The term "a crime committed against a person on school grounds" shall mean any crime defined in section 120.05 (assault in the second degree), 120.06 (gang assault in the second degree), 120.07 (gang assault in the first degree), 120.08 (assault on a peace officer, police officer, firefighter or emergency medical services professional), 120.10 (assault in the first degree), 120.11 (aggravated assault upon a police officer or a peace officer), 120.12 (aggravated assault upon a person less than eleven years old), 120.13 (menacing in the first degree), 130.25 (rape in the third degree), 130.30 (rape in the second degree), 130.35 (rape in the first degree), 130.65 (sexual abuse in the first degree), 130.66 (aggravated sexual abuse in the third degree), 130.67 (aggravated sexual abuse in the second degree), 130.70 (aggravated sexual abuse in the first degree), 130.75 (course of sexual conduct against a child in the first degree), 130.80 (course of sexual conduct against a child in the second degree), 130.95 (predatory sexual assault), 130.96 (predatory sexual assault against a child), 135.10 (unlawful imprisonment in the first degree), 135.20 (kidnapping in the second degree), 135.25 (kidnap-
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01823-01-5
ping in the first degree) or 135.65 (coercion in the first degree) of this chapter, or any attempt or conspiracy to commit any of the foregoing crimes, when the crime (a) constitutes a felony and (b) occurs on school grounds. For purposes of this section, "school grounds" shall mean (i) in or on or within any building, structure, athletic playing field, playground or land contained within the real property boundary line of a public or private nursery school, daycare facility, elementary, parochial, intermediate, junior high, vocational, high school, trade school, junior college, community college, college, university or other institution of higher education, or (ii) any area accessible to the public located within one thousand feet of the real property boundary line comprising any such school or any parked automobile or other parked vehicle located within one thousand feet of the real property boundary line comprising any such school. For the purposes of this section, "area accessible to the public" shall mean sidewalks, streets, parking lots, parks, playgrounds, stores and restaurants.
2. Authorized sentence. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when a person is convicted of a crime committed against a person on school grounds which is a class C, D, or E felony, the crime shall be deemed to be one category higher than the crime the person committed, or attempted or conspired to commit.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, when a person is convicted of a crime committed against a person on school grounds which is a class B felony:
(i) the maximum term of the indeterminate sentence must be at least six years if the defendant is sentenced pursuant to section 70.00 of this article;
(ii) the term of the determinate sentence must be at least eight years if the defendant is sentenced pursuant to section 70.02 of this article;
(iii) the term of the determinate sentence must be at least twelve years if the defendant is sentenced pursuant to section 70.04 of this article;
(iv) the maximum term of the indeterminate sentence must be at least four years if the defendant is sentenced pursuant to section 70.05 of this article; and
(v) the maximum term of the indeterminate sentence or the term of the determinate sentence must be at least ten years if the defendant is sentenced pursuant to section 70.06 of this article.
§ 3. The highway law is amended by adding a new section 318 to read as follows:
§ 318. Assault and abduction free school zone signs. The state, any political subdivision of the state and any other public or private entity having jurisdiction over any highway within school grounds, as defined in subdivision one of section 70.12 of the penal law, may, upon the request of the appropriate school authority, place, cause to be placed, or permit to be placed within the right of way of such highway signs indicating an assault and abduction free school zone.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the first of September next succeeding the date on which 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 highway law, in relation to violence committed on school grounds
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill would increase the penalties for assault and abduction that take place on school grounds, including nursery schools, and college campuses.
Summary of specific provisions
Section 1: Names this legislation "Suzanne's Law."
Section 2: Adds a new Section 70.12 to Penal Law to provide that the sentence upon conviction of certain crimes committed against a person on school grounds be deemed one category higher than the crime the person committed.
Section 3: Adds a new Section 318 to Highway Law authorizing the place- ment of Assault and Abduction Free school zone signs.
Section 4: Effective date.
Justification
There has been an alarming rate of assault and abductions committed against individuals on or around school grounds and college campuses. Following the success of the Drug Free School Zone act, this bill would serve to send a message to would-be attackers that penalties for commit- ting such a crime on school grounds would result in stricter penalties and longer prison sentences. The posting of signs along and around the school zone would also serve as a reminder to students and staff to observe the practices of personal safety.
Prior legislative history
01/18/17: S.2881 REFERRED TO CODES
04/25/17: S.2881 REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
06/14/17: S.2881 COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
06/14/17: S.2881 ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1621
06/14/17: S.2881 PASSED SENATE
06/14/17: S.2881 DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
06/14/17: S.2881 referred to codes
01/03/18: S.2881 died in assembly
01/03/18: S.2881 returned to senate
01/03/18: S.2881 REFERRED TO CODES
03/05/18: S.2881 COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
03/05/18: S.2881 ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.545
03/05/18: S.2881 PASSED SENATE
03/05/18: S.2881 DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
03/05/18: S.2881 REFERRED TO CODES
01/09/19: S.361 REFERRED TO CODES
01/08/20: S.361 REFERRED TO CODES
01/06/21: S.214 REFERRED TO CODES
01/05/22: S.214 REFERRED TO CODES
01/04/23: S.95 REFERRED TO CODES
01/03/24: S.95 REFERRED TO CODES
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of September next succeeding the date on which is shall have become law.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.