New York S 10359: Prohibits people from engaging in protest outside a place of religious worship

Bill Text

STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          10359
                    IN SENATE
                                      May 15, 2026
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  Sen.  RHOADS -- 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 prohibiting  persons  from
          protesting within twenty-five feet of houses of worship
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 240.80  to
     2  read as follows:
     3  § 240.80 Criminal  interference  with  religious  worship  in the second
     4             degree.
     5    1. A person is guilty of criminal interference with religious  worship
     6  in the second degree when:
     7    (a)  by  force  or  threat  of  force or by physical obstruction, such
     8  person  intentionally  injures,  intimidates  or  interferes  with,   or
     9  attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with, another person because
    10  such person was or is seeking to exercise the right of religious freedom
    11  at a place of religious worship; or
    12    (b) such person intentionally damages the property of a place of reli-
    13  gious worship; or
    14    (c) such person or persons engages in protest outside a place of reli-
    15  gious worship within twenty-five feet of such place to include its park-
    16  ing lot, entrance, driveway or driveway entrance; or
    17    (d)  such  person or persons prevents the entrance to a place of reli-
    18  gious worship or prevents the exit from a place of religious worship.
    19    2. For the purposes of this section:
    20    (a) the term "interferes with" means to restrict a person's freedom of
    21  movement; and
    22    (b) the term "intimidates" means  to  place  a  person  in  reasonable
    23  apprehension of physical injury to themselves or to another person.
    24    Criminal  interference  with or religious worship in the second degree
    25  is a class A misdemeanor.
    26    § 2. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 240.81  to  read
    27  as follows:
         EXPLANATION--Matter in  (underscored) is new; matter in bracketsitalics
                              [] is old law to be omitted. 
                                                                   LBD14578-02-6

        S. 10359                            2
     1  § 240.81 Criminal  interference  with  religious  worship  in the second
     2             degree.
     3    A  person is guilty of criminal interference with religious worship in
     4  the first degree when such person commits the crime of  criminal  inter-
     5  ference  with religious worship in the second degree and has been previ-
     6  ously convicted of the crime of  criminal  interference  with  religious
     7  worship in the first or second degree.
     8    Criminal  interference with religious worship in the first degree is a
     9  class E felony.
    10    § 3. Section 240.70 of the penal law, as added by chapter 635  of  the
    11  laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows:
    12  § 240.70 Criminal  interference  with health care services [or religious
    13             ] in the second degree.worship
    14    1. A person is guilty of criminal interference  with  health  services
    15  [] in the second degree when:or religious worship
    16    (a)  by  force  or  threat of force or by physical obstruction, [he or
    17  ]  intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes  with,shesuch person
    18  or  attempts  to  injure,  intimidate  or interfere with, another person
    19  because such other person was or is obtaining or providing  reproductive
    20  health services; or
    21    (b)  by  force  or  threat of force or by physical obstruction, [he or
    22  ]  intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes  with,shesuch person
    23  or  attempts  to injure, intimidate or interfere with, another person in
    24  order to discourage such other person or any  other  person  or  persons
    25  from obtaining or providing reproductive health services; or
    26    (c) [by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, he or she
    27  intentionally  injures,  intimidates  or interferes with, or attempts to
    28  injure, intimidate or interfere with, another person because such person
    29  was or is seeking to exercise the right of religious freedom at a  place
    30  of religious worship; or
    31    ]   intentionally damages the property of a(d)  he  or  shesuch person
    32  health care facility, or  attempts  to  do  so,  because  such  facility
    33  provides  reproductive  health  services[,  or intentionally damages the
    34