Criminal Justice (Violent Crime)

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 1650: Relates to removing the requirement that physical injury be caused under the crimes of aggravated sexual abuse in the third and fourth degrees

This bill amends New York's criminal code to remove the requirement that physical injury must occur for certain aggravated sexual abuse charges. It changes the definitions for third and fourth degree aggravated sexual abuse, so prosecutors no longer need to prove physical injury occurred when a victim is incapable of consenting due to factors like age (under 17) or mental disability/incapacity. The bill directly affects victims of sexual assault where the perpetrator inserts objects or body parts into the victim's body, shifting the legal focus from proving physical harm to proving the victim's inability to consent. The key change simplifies prosecution by eliminating the physical injury element for these specific offenses.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves physical injury requirement for sexual assault prosecutions, strengthening victim protections in criminal justice.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 6456: Expands prison work release program eligibility and participation

Bill S 6456 expands eligibility for incarcerated individuals to participate in prison work release programs by extending the required proximity to parole or conditional release. Most participants will now be eligible three years, instead of two, prior to release, and those with certain violent offenses will be eligible thirty months, up from eighteen. The bill also extends this three-year eligibility to individuals convicted of homicide offenses related to domestic abuse by the victim. Furthermore, it prohibits the governor from issuing executive orders to exclude classes of otherwise eligible individuals and adds aggravated harassment of an employee by an incarcerated individual to the list of ineligible offenses.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands work release eligibility to enhance rehabilitation and reduce recidivism, aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence Probation & Parole Violent Crime

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 1738: Categorizes the assault of a code enforcement official or other individual responsible for building inspection as a class D felony

Categorizes the assault of a code enforcement official or other individual responsible for building inspection performing their lawful duties under such position as a class D felony.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill increases penalties for assaulting code enforcement officials, expanding criminalization and strengthening sentencing for such offenses.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime

Track

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 3787: Relates to intentional physical injuries to a police officer

Relates to intentional physical injuries to a police officer due to a belief or perception regarding such police officer's involvement in a previous arrest of such person constituting assault in the first and second degree.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill criminalizes assault on officers related to prior arrests, increasing penalties and expanding criminalization of offenses against law enforcement.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Policing Violent Crime

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 296: Elevates assault of a code enforcement official to the class D felony of assault in the second degree

This bill elevates assaulting a code enforcement official to a class D felony (second-degree assault), making it a more serious criminal charge. It directly affects code enforcement officials (who inspect buildings, zoning, and health codes) and individuals who assault them, by adding them to a list of protected personnel under New York's assault law. The key change is expanding the existing penal law to specifically include code enforcement officials among those whose assault carries felony penalties, rather than lesser offenses. This policy shift increases potential legal consequences for violence against these public safety workers.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill elevates assault on code enforcement officials to felony, strengthening legal protection for these officials under criminal justice sentencing policies.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime

Track

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 1013: Includes certain violations involving the use of a firearm as qualifying offenses for the purpose of imposing bail

Includes certain violations involving the use of a machine-gun, firearm silencer, firearm, rifle, shotgun, disguised gun, ghost gun or assault weapon as qualifying offenses for the purpose of imposing bail.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands bail restrictions for firearm offenses, increasing pretrial detention and reducing defendant rights without reform elements.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms Violent Crime

Track

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 327: Requires that a defendant must be over twenty-five years old to be guilty of felony murder

This bill (A 327) changes the felony murder rule in New York law by requiring defendants to be over 25 years old to face felony murder charges. It directly affects individuals under 25 who commit certain violent crimes - like robbery, burglary, or kidnapping - that result in death. The key provision amends the penal law to add an age threshold: only defendants aged 25 or older can be charged with felony murder when causing death during these specific offenses. This eliminates felony murder liability for under-25 defendants in the listed scenarios, though it does not change liability for other murder charges.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeEliminates felony murder charges for under-25 defendants, reducing harsh sentencing for young adults and advancing criminal justice reform by limiting strict liability prosecutions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 8579: Relates to the assault of an employee of the New York city department of parks and recreation

This bill (S 8579) elevates assault against employees of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation to a class D felony under New York State Penal Law. It directly affects park workers by increasing the legal consequences for anyone who assaults them while they are performing their duties. The key mechanism amends Section 120.05 of the Penal Law to explicitly include parks department employees in a list of protected personnel (alongside firefighters, nurses, sanitation workers, and others) for whom causing physical injury during work constitutes a felony. This change raises penalties for such assaults from a lower-level offense to a class D felony, reflecting the seriousness of harming public safety workers.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeElevates assault on parks employees to class D felony, strengthening legal protections and increasing penalties for violence against public workers.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentElevates assault on parks workers to felony, strengthening workplace safety protections for public employees per Penal Law amendment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime

Track

in committee · New York · Senate Jan 7, 2026

S 2118: Categorizes the assault of an individual responsible for local parking enforcement as a class D felony

Categorizes the assault of an individual responsible for local parking enforcement performing their lawful duties under such position as a class D felony.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill elevates assault on parking enforcers to class D felony, increasing penalties for a specific offense, aligning with expanding criminalization.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime

Track

in committee · New York · Assembly Jan 7, 2026

A 4497: Relates to enhancing penalties and protecting victims of crimes of domestic violence

This bill increases penalties for repeat domestic violence offenses by elevating certain crimes to class E felonies when perpetrators have prior convictions for specific offenses (like harassment, assault, or stalking) within the last ten years and are in the same household or family as the victim. It amends New York Penal Law sections to define "same family or household" consistently and specifies qualifying prior crimes, including stalking, strangulation, and harassment offenses. The changes directly affect domestic violence perpetrators with prior convictions and strengthen legal protections for victims by imposing stricter penalties for repeat offenses. The bill does not create new victim services but modifies criminal sentencing structures for domestic violence cases.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeIncreases penalties for repeat domestic violence offenders to protect victims, aligning with criminal justice reform that strengthens victim protections through enhanced sentencing.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence Sentencing Violent Crime

Track