S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   3644
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 29, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  MURRAY, BORRELLO, OBERACKER, RHOADS -- 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  designating  offenses
   against law enforcement officers as hate crimes

   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Subdivisions 1, 2 and 4 of section 485.05 of the penal law,
 as amended by chapter 8 of the laws of 2019,  are  amended  to  read  as
 follows:
   1.  A person commits a hate crime when [he or she] SUCH PERSON commits
 a specified offense and either:
   (a) intentionally selects the  person  against  whom  the  offense  is
 committed  or  intended  to be committed in whole or in substantial part
 because of a belief or perception regarding the  race,  color,  national
 origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, religion, reli-
 gious  practice,  age,  disability,  OR  BECAUSE  OF ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED
 EMPLOYMENT AS EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL, A FIREFIGHTER  OR  A
 LAW  ENFORCEMENT  OFFICER, or sexual orientation of a person, regardless
 of whether the belief or perception is correct, or
   (b) intentionally commits the act or acts constituting the offense  in
 whole or in substantial part because of a belief or perception regarding
 the  race,  color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or
 expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability, OR BECAUSE OF
 ACTUAL OR PERCEIVED EMPLOYMENT AS EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES  PERSONNEL,
 A  FIREFIGHTER  OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, or sexual orientation of a
 person, regardless of whether the belief or perception is correct.
   2. Proof of race, color, national  origin,  ancestry,  gender,  gender
 identity  or  expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability,
 OR BECAUSE OF  ACTUAL  OR  PERCEIVED  EMPLOYMENT  AS  EMERGENCY  MEDICAL
 SERVICES PERSONNEL, A FIREFIGHTER OR A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, or sexu-
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD07535-01-5
              

 S. 3644                             2
 
 al orientation of the defendant, the victim or of both the defendant and
 the  victim  does not, by itself, constitute legally sufficient evidence
 satisfying the people's burden under paragraph (a) or (b) of subdivision
 one of this section.
   4. For purposes of this section:
   (a) the term "age" means sixty years old or more;
   (b)  the  term "disability" means a physical or mental impairment that
 substantially limits a major life activity;
   (c) the term "gender identity or expression" means a  person's  actual
 or  perceived gender-related identity, appearance, behavior, expression,
 or other gender-related characteristic regardless of the sex assigned to
 that person at birth, including, but not limited to, the status of being
 transgender;
   (D) THE TERM "EMERGENCY  MEDICAL  SERVICES  PERSONNEL"  MEANS  PERSONS
 TRAINED  AND  CERTIFIED  OR  LICENSED TO PROVIDE EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE,
 WHETHER ON A PAID OR VOLUNTEER BASIS, AS PART OF A BASIC LIFE SUPPORT OR
 ADVANCED LIFE SUPPORT PRE-HOSPITAL EMERGENCY CARE SERVICE OR IN AN EMER-
 GENCY DEPARTMENT OR PEDIATRIC CRITICAL  CARE  OR  SPECIALTY  UNIT  IN  A
 LICENSED HOSPITAL;
   (E) THE TERM "FIREFIGHTER" MEANS ANY FIREFIGHTER REGULARLY EMPLOYED BY
 A FIRE DEPARTMENT OF ANY MUNICIPALITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK; AND
   (F)  THE  TERM  "LAW  ENFORCEMENT OFFICER" MEANS ANY ACTIVE OR RETIRED
 CITY OR STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, PEACE  OFFICER,  SHERIFF,  DEPUTY
 SHERIFF, PROBATION OR PAROLE OFFICER, MARSHAL, DEPUTY, WILDLIFE ENFORCE-
 MENT  AGENCY,  STATE  CORRECTIONAL OFFICER, OR COMMISSIONED AGENT OF THE
 DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND COMMUNITY  SUPERVISION,  AS  WELL  AS  ANY
 FEDERAL  LAW  ENFORCEMENT  OFFICER  OR  EMPLOYEE, WHOSE PERMANENT DUTIES
 INCLUDE MAKING ARRESTS, PERFORMING SEARCH  AND  SEIZURES,  EXECUTION  OF
 CRIMINAL ARREST WARRANTS, EXECUTION OF CIVIL SEIZURE WARRANTS, ANY CIVIL
 FUNCTIONS PERFORMED BY SHERIFFS OR DEPUTY SHERIFFS, ENFORCEMENT OF PENAL
 OR  TRAFFIC LAWS, OR THE CARE, CUSTODY, CONTROL OR SUPERVISION OF INCAR-
 CERATED INDIVIDUALS.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.