New York S 4173: Enacts the reproductive health care facilities and religious worship access act

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 Speaker Carl E. Heastie

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S04173 Summary:

BILL NOS04173 

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SAME ASSAME AS A07094

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SPONSORPARKER

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COSPNSRMAYER

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MLTSPNSR

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Amd §240.70, Pen L; amd §79-m, Civ Rts L

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Enacts the reproductive health care facilities and religious worship access act; provides that the crime of criminal interference with health care services or religious worship shall be established by the mens rea of knowingly injuring, intimidating or interfering with a person obtaining or providing or assisting in obtaining or providing reproductive health services or a place of religious worship; includes in the definition of such crime engaging in a course of conduct or repeatedly committing acts within twenty-five feet of the premises of a reproductive health care facility or a place of religious worship; defines such premises; provides for a civil cause of action for any person harmed by conduct constituting such a crime.

Go to top S04173 Actions:

BILL NOS04173 

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02/03/2025REFERRED TO CODES

01/07/2026REFERRED TO CODES

Go to topS04173 Committee&nbspVotes:

Go to topS04173 Floor&nbspVotes:

There are no Assembly votes for this bill in this legislative session.

Go to topS04173 Text:

 STATE OF NEW YORK
 ________________________________________________________________________

 4173

 2025-2026 Regular Sessions

 IN SENATE

 February 3, 2025
 ___________

 Introduced by Sens. PARKER, MAYER -- 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 civil rights law, in relation to
 enacting the reproductive health care facilities and religious worship
 access act

 The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
 bly, do enact as follows:

 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "reproduc-
 2 tive health care facilities and religious worship access act".
 3 § 2. Legislative intent. The legislature finds that the right to
 4 obtain reproductive health services and the right to religious worship
 5 are essential personal rights protected by state and federal law. Equal-
 6 ly, the right to peaceably protest and express one's views is protected
 7 by state and federal law. Such actions include, but are not limited to,
 8 the right to speak, march, demonstrate, or engage in other activity
 9 protected by the First Amendment.
 10 The legislature finds that current law does not adequately protect
 11 reproductive health care facilities or places of religious worship and
 12 those who work in or seek services from or access to such facilities.
 13 Therefore, the legislature has determined that it is appropriate for the
 14 protection of the public health, safety and welfare, to enact legis-
 15 lation to prohibit interference with access to reproductive health care
 16 services or places of religious worship, so that persons harmed by such
 17 conduct can seek redress in the courts and the state can obtain injunc-
 18 tive relief and damages. Furthermore, the legislature has determined
 19 that it is appropriate to enact this legislation to: ensure public safe-
 20 ty and order; protect freedom to receive reproductive health services;
 21 advance medical privacy and the well-being of patients seeking reproduc-
 22 tive health care services at facilities; protect the exercise of reli-
 23 gious freedom at places of religious worship and the well-being of those

 EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
 [ ] is old law to be omitted.
 LBD07766-01-5

 S. 4173 2

 1 exercising their freedom of religion at places of religious worship; and
 2 safeguard private property.
 3 § 3. Section 240.70 of the penal law, as added by chapter 635 of the
 4 laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows:
 5 § 240.70 Criminal interference with health care services or religious
 6 worship in the second degree.
 7 1. A person is guilty of criminal interference with health services or
 8 religious worship in the second degree when:
 9 (a) by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, [he or she
 10 intentionally] such person knowingly injures, intimidates or interferes
 11 with, or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with, another
 12 person because such other person was or is obtaining or providing, or
 13 assisting in obtaining or provid