Bill > H1292

This bill proposes to add a new section to existing law that defines and criminalizes strangulation and suffocation, which are acts intended to impede breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the neck or blocking the nose and mouth, respectively. It also defines "serious bodily injury" as harm that causes permanent disfigurement, loss or impairment of bodily functions, or a substantial risk of death. The bill establishes penalties for these offenses, with a basic charge of strangulation or suffocation punishable by up to five years in state prison or 2.5 years in a house of correction, along with a fine. More severe penalties, including up to ten years in state prison and a larger fine, are prescribed for cases where strangulation or suffocation results in serious bodily injury, is committed against a pregnant person, is a repeat offense, or involves a victim with an active restraining or no-contact order against the perpetrator.