Bill > A04840

This bill amends the New York Penal Law to include "aggravated harassment in the first degree" as a specified offense. Specified offenses are a category of crimes that carry enhanced penalties for hate-based motivations. By adding aggravated harassment in the first degree to this list, the bill ensures that this offense will be treated similarly to other bias-motivated crimes, such as assault, stalking, and robbery, with the potential for increased sentences if the crime is found to be driven by prejudice against the victim's race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, religion, religious practice, age, disability or sexual orientation.