Bill > S08476

This bill increases criminal penalties for harassment and trespassing specifically targeting elected officials, expanding existing laws to provide additional protections. The legislation modifies two sections of the penal law: first, it broadens the definition of aggravated harassment to explicitly include elected officials alongside judges, making it a class E felony when someone intentionally threatens, communicates threatening messages, makes harassing phone calls, or physically threatens or contacts an elected official or their immediate family in a way that causes fear or potential harm. Second, the bill expands criminal trespass in the first degree to include knowingly entering or remaining unlawfully in a building where an elected official or their immediate family resides, which will now be classified as a class D felony. The term "immediate family" is defined consistently across both provisions, referencing an existing definition in section 120.40 of the penal code. These changes aim to provide stronger legal protections for elected officials against harassment and unauthorized intrusion into their personal spaces, reflecting growing concerns about threats to public officials.

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8476