Bill > S07469

This bill introduces new legal protections against child harassment by establishing both criminal and civil penalties for specific harmful behaviors targeting children. The bill creates a new criminal offense of "criminal harassment of a child" which occurs when a person intentionally and knowingly engages in conduct that seriously alarms, annoys, torments, or terrorizes a child, without a legitimate purpose, and causes substantial emotional distress. Prohibited actions include physically contacting or threatening a child, following or lying in wait for a child, recording a child without consent, engaging in repetitive acts that cause emotional distress, and publishing a child's identifying information without parental consent. The bill also establishes a private right of action, allowing parents or legal guardians to sue individuals who engage in such harassment, with potential remedies including actual and punitive damages, attorney's fees, and injunctive relief. Importantly, the law includes exceptions for law enforcement and legally mandated activities, and classifies criminal child harassment as a class A misdemeanor. The provisions aim to protect children from intentional emotional and physical harassment while providing legal recourse for victims and their families.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S7469