Designates the crime of disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, burial or memorial service as disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, burial or memorial service in the second degree and adds the crime of disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, burial or memorial service in the first degree as a class E felony.
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
10785
I N A S S E M B L Y
April 1, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. NORBER, CHANG, BROOK-KRASNY, NOVAKHOV -- read
once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to the crimes of disruption
or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, burial or memorial
service in the first and second degrees
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 240.00 of the penal law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 8 to read as follows:
8. "PLACE OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP" MEANS ANY BUILDING, STRUCTURE, OR
PORTION THEREOF, THAT IS REGULARLY USED BY A RELIGIOUS CORPORATION, AS
INCORPORATED UNDER THE RELIGIOUS CORPORATIONS LAW OR THE EDUCATION LAW,
FOR PURPOSES OF CONDUCTING RELIGIOUS SERVICES, CEREMONIES, OR OTHER
FORMS OF RELIGIOUS OBSERVANCE OR PRAYER.
§ 2. Section 240.21 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 566 of the
laws of 2008, the opening paragraph as amended by chapter 528 of the
laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
§ 240.21 Disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral,
burial or memorial service IN THE SECOND DEGREE.
A person is guilty of disruption or disturbance of a religious
service, funeral, burial or memorial service IN THE SECOND DEGREE when
[he or she] SUCH PERSON makes unreasonable noise or disturbance while at
a lawfully assembled religious service, funeral, burial or memorial
service, or within [three] FIVE hundred feet thereof, with intent to
cause annoyance or alarm or recklessly creating a risk thereof.
Disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, burial or
memorial service IN THE SECOND DEGREE is a class A misdemeanor.
§ 3. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 240.22 to read
as follows:
§ 240.22 DISRUPTION OR DISTURBANCE OF A RELIGIOUS SERVICE, FUNERAL,
BURIAL OR MEMORIAL SERVICE IN THE FIRST DEGREE.
A PERSON IS GUILTY OF DISRUPTION OR DISTURBANCE OF A RELIGIOUS
SERVICE, FUNERAL, BURIAL OR MEMORIAL SERVICE IN THE FIRST DEGREE WHEN
SUCH PERSON MAKES UNREASONABLE NOISE OR DISTURBANCE WHILE AT A LAWFULLY
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
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