Bill Text: NY A10505 | 2019-2020 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Provides that a person commits a crime against an essential worker during a declared state disaster emergency when he or she commits a specified offense against an essential worker and such crime is committed against such worker while in the course of their employment during the pendency of a declared state disaster emergency; defines terms; makes related provisions.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-08-17 - print number 10505a [A10505 Detail]

Download: New_York-2019-A10505-Introduced.html



                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________

                                          10505

                   IN ASSEMBLY

                                      May 22, 2020
                                       ___________

        Introduced  by  COMMITTEE  ON  RULES -- (at request of M. of A. Ryan) --
          read once and referred to the Committee on Codes

        AN ACT to amend the  penal  law,  in  relation  to  establishing  crimes
          against essential workers during a declared state disaster emergency

          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Part 4 of the penal law is amended by adding  a  new  title
     2  Y-3 to read as follows:
     3                                  TITLE Y-3
     4          CRIMES AGAINST ESSENTIAL WORKERS DURING A DECLARED STATE
     5                             DISASTER EMERGENCY

     6                                 ARTICLE 497
     7          CRIMES AGAINST ESSENTIAL WORKERS DURING A DECLARED STATE
     8                             DISASTER EMERGENCY
     9  Section 497.00 Definitions.
    10          497.05 Crimes  against essential workers during a declared state
    11                   disaster emergency.
    12          497.10 Sentencing.
    13  § 497.00 Definitions.
    14    As used in this title:
    15    1. "Declared state disaster emergency" shall mean  a  period  of  time
    16  beginning  with  the  declaration of a disaster pursuant to an executive
    17  order and in conformance with article two-B of the  executive  law.  The
    18  declared  state  disaster  emergency  shall  end upon termination of the
    19  executive order.
    20    2. "Employee" shall mean a paid worker or volunteer  worker  providing
    21  work  and/or  services for their employer during the period of the emer-
    22  gency.
    23    3. "Essential worker" shall mean an employee of an essential  business
    24  or  an  employee  of  the  state, local government, a school district, a
    25  municipality or an authority working within the affected area as defined
    26  by the executive order.

         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD16209-02-0

        A. 10505                            2

     1    4. "Essential business" shall have the same meaning as is  defined  by
     2  the applicable executive order.
     3  § 497.05 Crimes against essential workers during a declared state disas-
     4             ter emergency.
     5    1.  A  person  commits  a  crime  against an essential worker during a
     6  declared state disaster emergency when during the pendency of a declared
     7  state of emergency he or she commits  a  specified  offense  against  an
     8  essential worker in the declared disaster area and such crime is commit-
     9  ted  against  such  worker  while  the  worker is in the course of their
    10  duties or while such worker is in uniform or clothing.
    11    2. Proof of status as an essential worker does not, by itself, consti-
    12  tute legally sufficient evidence satisfying the  people's  burden  under
    13  this title.
    14    3.  A  "specified  offense"  for purposes of this title is any offense
    15  contained in this article with the exclusion of those crimes  enumerated
    16  in section 120.08, 120.09, 120.11, 120.18 or 125.27 of this chapter.
    17  § 497.10 Sentencing.
    18    1.  When  a person is convicted of a crime against an essential worker
    19  during a declared state disaster emergency pursuant to this  title,  and
    20  the specified offense is a violent felony offense, as defined in section
    21  70.02  of  this  chapter, the crime against an essential worker during a
    22  declared state disaster emergency  shall  be  deemed  a  violent  felony
    23  offense.
    24    2.  When  a person is convicted of a crime against an essential worker
    25  during a declared state disaster emergency pursuant to this  title,  and
    26  the specified offense is a misdemeanor or a class C, D, or E felony, the
    27  crime  against  the  essential  worker  during a declared state disaster
    28  emergency shall be deemed to be one category higher than  the  specified
    29  offense the defendant committed, or one category higher than the offense
    30  level  applicable  to  the  defendant's  conviction  for  an  attempt or
    31  conspiracy to commit a specified offense, whichever is applicable.
    32    3. Notwithstanding any other  provision  of  law,  when  a  person  is
    33  convicted of a crime against an essential worker during a declared state
    34  disaster emergency pursuant to this title and the specified offense is a
    35  class B felony:
    36    a. The maximum term of the indeterminate sentence must be at least six
    37  years  if  the  defendant is sentenced pursuant to section 70.00 of this
    38  chapter;
    39    b. The term of the determinate sentence must be at least  eight  years
    40  if the defendant is sentenced pursuant to section 70.02 of this chapter;
    41    c.  The term of the determinate sentence must be at least twelve years
    42  if the defendant is sentenced pursuant to section 70.04 of this chapter;
    43    d. The maximum term of the indeterminate sentence  must  be  at  least
    44  four  years  if  the defendant is sentenced pursuant to section 70.05 of
    45  this chapter; and
    46    e. The maximum term of the indeterminate sentence or the term  of  the
    47  determinate  sentence  must  be  at  least ten years if the defendant is
    48  sentenced pursuant to section 70.06 of this chapter.
    49    4. Notwithstanding any other  provision  of  law,  when  a  person  is
    50  convicted of a crime against an essential worker during a declared state
    51  disaster emergency pursuant to this title and the specified offense is a
    52  class A-1 felony, the minimum period of the indeterminate sentence shall
    53  not be less than twenty years.
    54    §  2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall apply to crimes
    55  committed on or after such date.
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