NY State Senate Bill 2019-S6786A

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Children And Families Committee

Introduced
- In Committee Assembly
- In Committee Senate
- On Floor Calendar Assembly
- On Floor Calendar Senate
- Passed Assembly
- Passed Senate
Delivered to Governor
Signed By Governor

Please enter your contact information

First Name

Last Name

Email Address

A valid email address is required.

Home address is used to determine the senate district in which you reside. Your support or opposition to this bill is then shared immediately with the senator who represents you.

Optional services from the NY State Senate:

Create an account. An account allows you to officially support or oppose key legislation, sign petitions with a single click, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Include a custom message for your Senator? (Optional)

Enter a message to your senator. Many New Yorkers use this to share the reasoning behind their support or opposition to the bill. Others might share a personal anecdote about how the bill would affect them or people they care about.

Actions

View Actions

	Assembly Actions - Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE
Mar 10, 2020	print number 6786a
Mar 10, 2020	amend (t) and recommit to children and families
Jan 08, 2020	referred to children and families
Oct 21, 2019	referred to rules

Bill Amendments

Original

A (Active)

2019-S6786 - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8766
Current Committee:: Senate Children And Families
Law Section:: Family Court Act
Laws Affected:: Amd §812, Fam Ct Act; amd §530.11, CP L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S1562, A365
2023-2024: S2074, A4419
2025-2026: S4125, A6291

2019-S6786 - Summary

Modifies the definition of disorderly conduct for family offense proceedings to not require an intent to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof, but merely an intent to cause annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof.

2019-S6786 - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6786

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the family court act, in relation to
disorderly conduct

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bill is to extend the protection of New York's
domestic violence statutes to all victims by eliminating the requirement
that such violence be perpetrated with an intent to cause public annoy-
ance.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

The bill amends the opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 812 of
the family court act, as separately amended by chapter 109 of the laws
of 2019, to provide that, for purposes of this article, "disorderly
conduct" does not require an intent to cause public in convenience,
annoyance or alarm but merely an intent to cause inconvenience, annoy-
ance, or alarm.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

The purpose of New York's Family Offense laws is to protect people from
domestic violence. Unfortunately, a recent appellate decision (Cassie v.
Cassie, 969 N.Y.S.2d 537(Second Dept., 2013)) requires such acts to
occur with intent to cause public inconvenience, annoyance and alarm.
This subverts the intent of the law to protect people who suffer from
domestic violence which occurs commonly without any "public" intent.
This bill corrects that mistake, and extends the protection of New
York's domestic violence statutes to all victims of domestic violence,
whether perpetrated in public, within the confines of the home, or
anywhere.

The Cassie case has been cited 55 times in appellate decisions and four-
teen times dealing with the need for public intent in family offense
petitions. Most recently in 2018, the Second Department dismissed a
disorderly conduct family offense case against a man who was physically
violent toward a woman. The court ruled against the woman seeking an
Order Protection because of no public intent in the act by the man.
(Saquipay v. Puzhi, 160 A.D. 3d 879 (2" Dept., 2018).

In New York State, over 310,000 Order of Protection were issued in 2016
and last year over 60,000 Family Offense petitions were filed in Family
Court, according to the NYS Unified Court System Annual Report 2018.

 
FISCAL IMPACT:

None

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately

2019-S6786 - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   6786
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             October 21, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
 
 AN ACT to amend the family court act, in relation to disorderly conduct
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

   Section  1.  The  opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 812 of
 the family court act, as amended by chapter 109 of the laws of 2019,  is
 amended to read as follows:
   The  family court and the criminal courts shall have concurrent juris-
 diction over any  proceeding  concerning  acts  which  would  constitute
 disorderly conduct, unlawful dissemination or publication of an intimate
 image,  harassment in the first degree, harassment in the second degree,
 aggravated harassment in the second degree, sexual misconduct,  forcible
 touching,  sexual  abuse in the third degree, sexual abuse in the second
 degree as set forth in subdivision one of section 130.60  of  the  penal
 law, stalking in the first degree, stalking in the second degree, stalk-
 ing  in  the  third  degree,  stalking  in  the  fourth degree, criminal
 mischief, menacing in the second degree, menacing in the  third  degree,
 reckless endangerment, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circu-
 lation,  strangulation  in the second degree, strangulation in the first
 degree, assault in the second degree, assault in the  third  degree,  an
 attempted assault, identity theft in the first degree, identity theft in
 the  second degree, identity theft in the third degree, grand larceny in
 the fourth degree, grand larceny in the third degree,  coercion  in  the
 second  degree  or coercion in the third degree as set forth in subdivi-
 sions one, two and three of section 135.60  of  the  penal  law  between
 spouses  or  former  spouses,  or  between  parent  and child or between
 members of the same family or household except that  if  the  respondent
 would not be criminally responsible by reason of age pursuant to section
 30.00  of  the  penal  law,  then  the family court shall have exclusive
 jurisdiction  over  such  proceeding.  Notwithstanding  a  complainant's
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD13934-01-9

 S. 6786                             2
 
 election  to  proceed  in  family court, the criminal court shall not be
 divested of jurisdiction to hear a family offense proceeding pursuant to
 this section. In any proceeding pursuant to this article, a court  shall
 not  deny  an  order of protection, or dismiss a petition, solely on the
 basis that the acts or events alleged are not relatively contemporaneous
 with the date of the petition, the conclusion of the fact-finding or the
 conclusion of the dispositional hearing. For purposes of  this  article,
 "disorderly  conduct"  includes disorderly conduct not in a public place
 AND DOES NOT REQUIRE AN INTENT TO CAUSE PUBLIC INCONVENIENCE,  ANNOYANCE
 OR  ALARM  BUT  MERELY  AN  INTENT  TO CAUSE INCONVENIENCE, ANNOYANCE OR
 ALARM.  For purposes of this article, "members of  the  same  family  or
 household" shall mean the following:
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.

co-Sponsors

View additional co-sponsors

2019-S6786A (ACTIVE) - Details

See Assembly Version of this Bill:: A8766
Current Committee:: Senate Children And Families
Law Section:: Family Court Act
Laws Affected:: Amd §812, Fam Ct Act; amd §530.11, CP L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:: 2021-2022: S1562, A365
2023-2024: S2074, A4419
2025-2026: S4125, A6291

2019-S6786A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2019-S6786A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

                                
 
BILL NUMBER: S6786A

SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the family court act and the criminal procedure law, in
relation to disorderly conduct

 
PURPOSE:

The purpose of this bill is to extend the protection of New York's
domestic violence statutes to all victims by eliminating the requirement
that such violence be perpetrated with an intent to cause public annoy-
ance.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

The bill amends the opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 812 of
the family court act, as separately amended by chapter 109 of the laws
of 2019, to provide that, for purposes of this article, "disorderly
conduct" does not require an intent to cause public inconvenience,

annoyance or alarm but merely an intent to cause annoyance or alarm or
recklessly creating a risk thereof.

**The amendments to this bill are technical.** JUSTIFICATION:  The
purpose of New York's Family Offense laws is to protect people from
domestic violence. Unfortunately, a recent appellate decision (Cassie v.
Cassie, 969 N.Y.S.2d 537(Second Dept., 2013)) requires such acts to
occur with intent to cause public inconvenience, annoyance and alarm.
This subverts the intent of the law to protect people who suffer from
domestic violence which occurs commonly without any "public" intent.
This bill corrects that mistake, and extends the protection of New
York's domestic violence statutes to all victims of domestic violence,
whether perpetrated in public, within the confines of the home, or
anywhere.

The Cassie case has been cited 55 times in appellate decisions and four-
teen times dealing with the need for public intent in family offense
petitions. Most recently in 2018, the Second Department dismissed a
disorderly conduct family offense case against a man who was physically
violent toward a woman. The court ruled against the woman seeking an
Order Protection because of no public intent in the act by the man.
(Saquipay v. Puzhi, 160 A.D. 3d 879 (2nd Dept., 2018).

In New York State, over 310,000 Order of Protection were issued in 2016
and last year over 60,000 Family Offense petitions were filed in Family
Court, according to the NYS Unified Court System Annual Report 2018.

 
FISCAL IMPACT:

None

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

New bill

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately

2019-S6786A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

                            
 
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                  6786--A
 
                        2019-2020 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             October 21, 2019
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sen.  MAY  --  read  twice and ordered printed, and when
   printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules  --  recommitted  to
   the  Committee on Children and Families in accordance with Senate Rule
   6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted  as
   amended and recommitted to said committee

 AN  ACT to amend the family court act and the criminal procedure law, in
   relation to disorderly conduct
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  The  opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 812 of
 the family court act, as amended by chapter 109 of the laws of 2019,  is
 amended to read as follows:
   The  family court and the criminal courts shall have concurrent juris-
 diction over any  proceeding  concerning  acts  which  would  constitute
 disorderly  conduct AS SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISIONS ONE, THREE, FOUR, FIVE,
 SIX AND SEVEN OF SECTION 240.20 OF THE PENAL LAW, unlawful dissemination
 or publication of an intimate image, harassment  in  the  first  degree,
 harassment  in  the  second  degree, aggravated harassment in the second
 degree, sexual misconduct, forcible touching, sexual abuse in the  third
 degree,  sexual  abuse  in the second degree as set forth in subdivision
 one of section 130.60 of the penal law, stalking in  the  first  degree,
 stalking in the second degree, stalking in the third degree, stalking in
 the  fourth  degree,  criminal  mischief, menacing in the second degree,
 menacing  in  the  third   degree,   reckless   endangerment,   criminal
 obstruction  of  breathing  or  blood  circulation, strangulation in the
 second degree, strangulation in the first degree, assault in the  second
 degree,  assault  in  the  third  degree, an attempted assault, identity
 theft in the first degree, identity theft in the second degree, identity
 theft in the third degree, grand larceny in  the  fourth  degree,  grand
 larceny  in  the third degree, coercion in the second degree or coercion
 in the third degree as set forth in subdivisions one, two and  three  of
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

                                                            LBD13934-02-0

 S. 6786--A                          2
 
 section  135.60  of  the penal law between spouses or former spouses, or
 between parent and child or between members of the same family or house-
 hold except that if the respondent would not be  criminally  responsible
 by  reason  of  age pursuant to section 30.00 of the penal law, then the
 family court shall have exclusive  jurisdiction  over  such  proceeding.
 Notwithstanding a complainant's election to proceed in family court, the
 criminal  court  shall  not be divested of jurisdiction to hear a family
 offense proceeding pursuant to this section. In any proceeding  pursuant
 to  this  article,  a  court  shall  not deny an order of protection, or
 dismiss a petition, solely on the basis that the acts or events  alleged
 are  not  relatively  contemporaneous with the date of the petition, the
 conclusion of the fact-finding or the conclusion  of  the  dispositional
 hearing.  For  purposes  of  this article, "disorderly conduct" includes
 disorderly conduct not in a public place AND DOES NOT REQUIRE AN  INTENT
 TO  CAUSE PUBLIC INCONVENIENCE, ANNOYANCE OR ALARM, OR RECKLESSLY CREAT-
 ING A RISK THEREOF, BUT MERELY AN INTENT TO CAUSE ANNOYANCE OR ALARM, OR
 RECKLESSLY CREATING A RISK THEREOF.    For  purposes  of  this  article,
 "members of the same family or household" shall mean the following:
   §  2.  The opening paragraph of subdivision 1 of section 530.11 of the
 criminal procedure law, as amended by chapter 109 of the laws  of  2019,
 is amended to read as follows:
   The  family court and the criminal courts shall have concurrent juris-
 diction over any  proceeding  concerning  acts  which  would  constitute
 disorderly  conduct AS SET FORTH IN SUBDIVISIONS ONE, THREE, FOUR, FIVE,
 SIX AND SEVEN OF SECTION 240.20 OF THE PENAL LAW, unlawful dissemination
 or publication of an intimate image, harassment  in  the  first  degree,
 harassment  in  the  second  degree, aggravated harassment in the second
 degree, sexual misconduct, forcible touching, sexual abuse in the  third
 degree,  sexual  abuse  in the second degree as set forth in subdivision
 one of section 130.60 of the penal law, stalking in  the  first  degree,
 stalking in the second degree, stalking in the third degree, stalking in
 the  fourth  degree,  criminal  mischief, menacing in the second degree,
 menacing in the third degree, reckless  endangerment,  strangulation  in
 the   first   degree,  strangulation  in  the  second  degree,  criminal
 obstruction of breathing or blood circulation,  assault  in  the  second
 degree,  assault  in  the  third  degree, an attempted assault, identity
 theft in the first degree, identity theft in the second degree, identity
 theft in the third degree, grand larceny in  the  fourth  degree,  grand
 larceny  in  the third degree, coercion in the second degree or coercion
 in the third degree as set forth in subdivisions one, two and  three  of
 section  135.60  of  the penal law between spouses or former spouses, or
 between parent and child or between members of the same family or house-
 hold except that if the respondent would not be  criminally  responsible
 by  reason  of  age pursuant to section 30.00 of the penal law, then the
 family court shall have exclusive  jurisdiction  over  such  proceeding.
 Notwithstanding a complainant's election to proceed in family court, the
 criminal  court  shall  not be divested of jurisdiction to hear a family
 offense proceeding pursuant  to  this  section.  For  purposes  of  this
 section,  "disorderly  conduct"  includes  disorderly  conduct  not in a
 public place AND DOES NOT REQUIRE AN INTENT TO  CAUSE  PUBLIC  INCONVEN-
 IENCE,  ANNOYANCE  OR  ALARM, OR RECKLESSLY CREATING A RISK THEREOF, BUT
 MERELY AN INTENT TO CAUSE ANNOYANCE OR ALARM, OR RECKLESSLY  CREATING  A
 RISK  THEREOF. For purposes of this section, "members of the same family
 or household" with respect to a proceeding in the criminal courts  shall
 mean the following:
   § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.

Comments

Open Legislation is a forum for New York State legislation. All comments are subject to review and community moderation is encouraged.

Comments deemed off-topic, commercial, campaign-related, self-promotional; or that contain profanity, hate or toxic speech; or that link to sites outside of the nysenate.gov domain are not permitted, and will not be published. Attempts to intimidate and silence contributors or deliberately deceive the public, including excessive or extraneous posting/posts, or coordinated activity, are prohibited and may result in the temporary or permanent banning of the user. Comment moderation is generally performed Monday through Friday. By contributing or voting you agree to the Terms of Participation and verify you are over 13.

Create an account. An account allows you to sign petitions with a single click, officially support or oppose key legislation, and follow issues, committees, and bills that matter to you. When you create an account, you agree to this platform's terms of participation.

Senate Bill S6786A

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Children And Families Committee

Bill Amendments

2019-S6786 - Details

2019-S6786 - Summary

2019-S6786 - Sponsor Memo

2019-S6786 - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

2019-S6786A (ACTIVE) - Details

2019-S6786A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2019-S6786A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2019-S6786A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments

Senate Bill S6786A

Share this bill

Sponsored By

Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Children And Families Committee

Bill Amendments

2019-S6786 - Details

2019-S6786 - Summary

2019-S6786 - Sponsor Memo

2019-S6786 - Bill Text download pdf

co-Sponsors

2019-S6786A (ACTIVE) - Details

2019-S6786A (ACTIVE) - Summary

2019-S6786A (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo

2019-S6786A (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf

Comments