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Senate Bill S8713A

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Relates to certain crimes of interference with health care services or religious worship

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Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Codes Committee

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Bill Amendments

co-Sponsors

2025-S8713 - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Codes
Law Section:
Penal Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §240.70, Pen L

2025-S8713 - Summary

Relates to the definition of "reproductive health services" for purposes of the offense of criminal interference with health care services or religious worship in the second degree; defines "legally protected health activity".

2025-S8713 - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8713 - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   8713
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 7, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen. HINCHEY -- 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 certain crimes  of  inter-
   ference with health care services or religious worship
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section 1.  Section 240.70 of the penal law, as added by  chapter  635
 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows:
 §  240.70  Criminal  interference with health care services or religious
            worship in the second degree.
   1. A person is guilty of criminal interference with health services or
 religious worship in the second degree when:
   (a) by force or threat of force or by  physical  obstruction,  [he  or
 she]  SUCH PERSON intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with,
 or attempts to injure, intimidate  or  interfere  with,  another  person
 because such other person was or is [obtaining or providing reproductive
 health services] ENGAGING IN LEGALLY PROTECTED HEALTH ACTIVITY; or
   (b)  by  force  or  threat of force or by physical obstruction, [he or
 she] SUCH PERSON intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes  with,
 or  attempts  to injure, intimidate or interfere with, another person in
 order to discourage such other person or any  other  person  or  persons
 from  [obtaining  or providing reproductive health services] ENGAGING IN
 LEGALLY PROTECTED HEALTH ACTIVITY; or
   (c) by force or threat of force or by  physical  obstruction,  [he  or
 she]  SUCH PERSON intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with,
 or attempts to injure, intimidate  or  interfere  with,  another  person
 because such person was or is seeking to exercise the right of religious
 freedom at a place of religious worship; or
   (d)  [he  or  she] SUCH PERSON intentionally damages the property of a
 health care facility, OR THE  PHYSICAL  LOCATION  FROM  WHICH  A  PERSON
 ENGAGES  IN  LEGALLY  PROTECTED  HEALTH  ACTIVITY, or attempts to do so,
 because such facility  provides  reproductive  health  services  OR  THE
 LOCATION  IS  THE  SITE  OF LEGALLY PROTECTED HEALTH ACTIVITY, or inten-
 tionally damages the property of a place of religious worship.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

co-Sponsors

2025-S8713A (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Codes
Law Section:
Penal Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §240.70, Pen L

2025-S8713A (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to the definition of "reproductive health services" for purposes of the offense of criminal interference with health care services or religious worship in the second degree; defines "legally protected health activity".

2025-S8713A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2025-S8713A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  8713--A
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                              January 7, 2026
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. HINCHEY, BOTTCHER -- read twice and ordered printed,
   and  when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes -- commit-
   tee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and  recom-
   mitted to said committee
 
 AN  ACT  to amend the penal law, in relation to certain crimes of inter-
   ference with health care services or religious worship

   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.   Section 240.70 of the penal law, as added by chapter 635
 of the laws of 1999, is amended to read as follows:
 § 240.70 Criminal interference with health care  services  or  religious
            worship in the second degree.
   1. A person is guilty of criminal interference with health services or
 religious worship in the second degree when:
   (a)  by  force  or  threat of force or by physical obstruction, [he or
 she] SUCH PERSON intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes  with,
 or  attempts  to  injure,  intimidate  or interfere with, another person
 because such other person was or is [obtaining or providing reproductive
 health services] ENGAGING IN LEGALLY PROTECTED HEALTH ACTIVITY; or
   (b) by force or threat of force or by  physical  obstruction,  [he  or
 she]  SUCH PERSON intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with,
 or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with, another  person  in
 order  to  discourage  such  other person or any other person or persons
 from [obtaining or providing reproductive health services]  ENGAGING  IN
 LEGALLY PROTECTED HEALTH ACTIVITY; or
   (c)  by  force  or  threat of force or by physical obstruction, [he or
 she] SUCH PERSON intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes  with,
 or  attempts  to  injure,  intimidate  or interfere with, another person
 because such person was or is seeking to exercise the right of religious
 freedom at a place of religious worship; or
   (d) [he or she] SUCH PERSON intentionally damages the  property  of  a
 health  care  facility,  OR  THE  PHYSICAL  LOCATION FROM WHICH A PERSON
 ENGAGES IN LEGALLY PROTECTED HEALTH ACTIVITY,  or  attempts  to  do  so,
 because  such  facility  provides  reproductive  health  services OR THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
              

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