Addabbo Joins Senate Colleagues in Approving Package of Terrorism Legislation

Howard Beach, NY (March 21, 2016) Citing “the need to be ever vigilant in the face of continuing threats to the security of our city, state, nation and international community,” Senator Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr. recently voted on the Senate floor to approve a package of strict new anti-terrorism proposals.

“The horrendous recent attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, combined with our fortunate success in stopping some hateful events before they had a chance to occur, underscores the need to provide our law enforcement agencies and other partners in the fight against terrorism with the tools they need to keep us safe,” said Addabbo, who serves as the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans, Homeland Security and Military Affairs. 

New York Police Department statistics reveal that there have been 20 foiled terrorist plots to attack residents and workers in the City subway system, airports, transportation hubs, utility centers and other parts of the infrastructure since September 11, 2001.

“We need to make sure that hateful criminals whose only agenda is to bring tragedy and suffering down upon our residents continue to fail in their twisted and despicable campaigns of destruction,” said Addabbo. 

The four proposals that garnered Addabbo’s support and passed the Senate are:

S. 455 would establish the crime of terrorism recruitment as a Class C felony, which could be imposed on people who attempt to entice others to engage in any sort of criminal terrorism.

S. 2942 would create several penalty levels for soliciting or providing support for acts of terrorism, with offenders guilty of Class B, C, or D felonies depending on the dollar value of support offered.

S. 3404 creates two new felony-level cyber crimes to punish those who use computers and other forms of technology to advance terrorist activity.

S.5349  would establish a new crime of making a terroristic threat against a police officer as a Class C felony.  Under current law, making a general terroristic threat – considered a threat made with the intent of intimidating or harming a civilian population, or terrorizing, disrupting, harming or coercing the operation of a governmental unit, especially through threats of murder, assassination, or kidnapping – carries a lesser felony charge.

Now that the bills have been approved by the Senate, they are under review by the Assembly Committee on Codes.