Bill Text: NY A05134 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: Creates the offense of unlawful funeral protest.

Spectrum: Strong Partisan Bill (Republican 12-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-01-08 - referred to codes [A05134 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A05134-Introduced.html


                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          5134
                               2019-2020 Regular Sessions
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                    February 7, 2019
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by  M. of A. DiPIETRO, RAIA, STEC, CROUCH, LALOR, MONTESANO,
          FRIEND, HAWLEY -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. PICHARDO -- read once
          and referred to the Committee on Codes
        AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to creating  the  offense  of
          unlawful funeral protest
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section 1. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 240.12  to
     2  read as follows:
     3  § 240.12 Unlawful funeral protest.
     4    1. A person is guilty of unlawful funeral protest if he or she engages
     5  in protest activities at any location at which a funeral is held, within
     6  one  hour  prior  to the commencement of any funeral, and until one hour
     7  following the cessation of any funeral, if such protest activities:
     8    (a) take place within one thousand feet of a road, pathway,  or  other
     9  route  of  ingress  to  or egress from cemetery property and include, as
    10  part of such activities, any individual willfully making or assisting in
    11  the making of any noise or diversion that disturbs or tends  to  disturb
    12  the  peace  or good order of the funeral, memorial service, or ceremony;
    13  or
    14    (b) are within one thousand feet  of  such  cemetery  and  impede  the
    15  access to or egress from such cemetery.
    16    2. As used in this section:
    17    (a) "funeral" means the ceremonies, processions, and memorial services
    18  held in connection with the burial or cremation of the dead; and
    19    (b) "protest activities" means:
    20    (1) any picketing or similar conduct;
    21    (2)  any  oration,  speech  or use of sound amplification equipment or
    22  device or similar conduct that is not part of a commemorative service;
    23    (3) the display of any placard, sign, banner, flag or similar  device,
    24  unless such display is part of a commemorative service; and
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02962-01-9

        A. 5134                             2
     1    (4) the distribution of any handbill, pamphlet, leaflet or other writ-
     2  ten  or  printed  matter,  other than a program distributed as part of a
     3  commemorative service.
     4    3.  (a)  Each  day  on  which a violation of this section occurs shall
     5  constitute a separate offense.
     6    (b) Unlawful funeral protest is a class B misdemeanor, unless  commit-
     7  ted  by  a person who has previously pled guilty to or been found guilty
     8  of a violation of this section, in which case the violation is a class A
     9  misdemeanor.
    10    § 2. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
    11  ing the date upon which it shall have become a law.
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