|
Assembly Actions -
Lowercase Senate Actions - UPPERCASE |
|
|---|---|
| Jan 08, 2025 |
referred to codes |
Senate Bill S531
2025-2026 Legislative Session
Sponsored By
(R, C) 7th Senate District
Current Bill Status - In Senate Committee Codes 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
Actions
co-Sponsors
(R, C) 9th Senate District
(R, C) 53rd Senate District
(R, C) 2nd Senate District
(R, C) 51st Senate District
2025-S531 (ACTIVE) - Details
- See Assembly Version of this Bill:
- A3951
- Current Committee:
- Senate Codes
- Law Section:
- Penal Law
- Laws Affected:
- Add §240.80, Pen L
- Versions Introduced in 2023-2024 Legislative Session:
-
S8625
2025-S531 (ACTIVE) - Summary
Enacts the New York state antisemitism vandalism act which establishes the crime of vandalism of pro-Israel print, which provides a class A misdemeanor for any individual who intentionally destroys, damages, removes, or causes to be destroyed, damaged or removed any banner, poster, flyer or billboard which is located in a public space, where the intent or purpose of such banner, poster, flyer or billboard is to bring awareness for Israeli individuals who have been victims of a crime, or to positively support the country or citizens of Israel in any way.
2025-S531 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo
BILL NUMBER: S531
SPONSOR: MARTINS
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the penal law, in relation to enacting the "New York
state antisemitism vandalism act"
PURPOSE:
To make it unlawful for individuals to knowingly destroy, damage, remove
any banner, poster, flyer, or billboard which is in a public space
and/or is pro-Israel.
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. establishes the act as the "New York State Antisemitism
Vandalism Act."
Section 2. amends the penal law by adding a new section 240.80.
Section 3. effective date.
2025-S531 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf
S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
531
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
(PREFILED)
January 8, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. MARTINS, CANZONERI-FITZPATRICK, GRIFFO, MATTERA,
OBERACKER, PALUMBO, RHOADS, ROLISON, WEBER -- 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 enacting the "New York
state antisemitism vandalism act"
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "New York
state antisemitism vandalism act".
§ 2. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 240.80 to read
as follows:
§ 240.80 VANDALISM OF PRO-ISRAEL PRINT.
A PERSON IS GUILTY OF VANDALISM OF PRO-ISRAEL PRINT WHEN SUCH PERSON
INTENTIONALLY DESTROYS, DAMAGES, REMOVES, OR CAUSES TO BE DESTROYED,
DAMAGED OR REMOVED ANY BANNER, POSTER, FLYER OR BILLBOARD WHICH IS
LOCATED IN A PUBLIC SPACE, WHERE THE INTENT OR PURPOSE OF SUCH BANNER,
POSTER, FLYER OR BILLBOARD IS TO BRING AWARENESS FOR ISRAELI INDIVIDUALS
WHO HAVE BEEN VICTIMS OF A CRIME, OR TO POSITIVELY SUPPORT THE COUNTRY
OR CITIZENS OF ISRAEL IN ANY WAY.
VANDALISM OF PRO-ISRAEL PRINT IS A CLASS A MISDEMEANOR.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01739-01-5
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.
Blatantly violates free speech. Ignores the vandalism of affixing said flyers on public infrastructure: Lamp posts, walls, subways, etc. Also singles out members of another country for protection from free speech.
As a Jewish resident of New York State, I firmly reject the conflation of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism which is the basis for this bill. Equating anti-Semitism with legitimate anger and protest against the State of Israel is dangerous and diminishes actual anti-Semitic acts, setting a dangerous precedent.
The State of Israel is currently enacting a widely recognized genocide against the Palestinian people. New Yorkers have every right to protest its atrocities. Making that protest illegal is both a violation of free speech and a dangerous precedent that diminishes actual anti-Semitic acts. Senate Bill S531 is a disservice to Jewish and non-Jewish residents alike.