Bill > A05224

This bill amends the New York State Penal Law to expand the definition of hate crimes to include offenses committed against emergency medical services personnel, firefighters, and law enforcement officers based on their actual or perceived employment. The bill provides detailed definitions for these professional categories, including emergency medical services personnel (trained and certified medical care providers), firefighters (regularly employed by municipal fire departments), and law enforcement officers (which encompasses a wide range of active and retired law enforcement professionals from city, state, and federal agencies). Under the revised law, if a person commits a specified criminal offense and intentionally targets an individual because of their employment in these professions, the offense can be classified as a hate crime. The amendment adds these employment categories to the existing list of protected characteristics, such as race, gender, religion, and disability, for determining hate crime status. The bill emphasizes that simply proving the victim's profession does not automatically constitute a hate crime; there must be evidence that the perpetrator specifically targeted the individual because of their professional role. The legislation aims to provide additional legal protection and recognition for these essential public service professionals.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/A5224