Bill > A04817

This bill establishes a new criminal offense in New York State law called "making a terroristic threat against a police officer," which would be classified as a class C felony. Specifically, a person would be guilty of this crime if they intentionally threaten to commit a specified offense against a police officer with the purpose of intimidating or coercing civilians, influencing government policy through intimidation, or affecting government conduct through threats of violence. The law includes an important provision that the defendant's actual ability or intent to carry out the threatened offense is irrelevant to prosecution. To be considered a violation, the threat must create a reasonable expectation or fear of imminent harm to a police officer. The bill expands existing penal code protections for law enforcement by creating a specific criminal charge for threatening police officers, with the threat itself being the punishable action, regardless of whether the person making the threat could actually follow through. The law is set to take effect on the first of November following its enactment.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A4817