A 10785: Designates the crime of disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, burial or memorial service as disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, burial or memorial service in the second degree and adds the crime of disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, burial or memorial service in the first degree as a class E felony.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 10785  IN ASSEMBLY April 1, 2026 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. NORBER, CHANG, BROOK-KRASNY, NOVAKHOV -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to the crimes of disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, burial or memorial service in the first and second degrees The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 240.00 of the penal law is amended by adding a new 2 subdivision 8 to read as follows: 3 8. "Place of religious worship" means any building, structure, or 4 portion thereof, that is regularly used by a religious corporation, as 5 incorporated under the religious corporations law or the education law, 6 for purposes of conducting religious services, ceremonies, or other 7 forms of religious observance or prayer. 8 § 2. Section 240.21 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 566 of the 9 laws of 2008, the opening paragraph as amended by chapter 528 of the 10 laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows: 11 § 240.21 Disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, 12 burial or memorial service in the second degree. 13 A person is guilty of disruption or disturbance of a religious 14 service, funeral, burial or memorial service in the second degree when 15 [he or she] such person makes unreasonable noise or disturbance while at 16 a lawfully assembled religious service, funeral, burial or memorial 17 service, or within [three] five hundred feet thereof, with intent to 18 cause annoyance or alarm or recklessly creating a risk thereof. 19 Disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, burial or 20 memorial service in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor. 21 § 3. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 240.22 to read 22 as follows: 23 § 240.22 Disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, 24 burial or memorial service in the first degree. 25 A person is guilty of disruption or disturbance of a religious 26 service, funeral, burial or memorial service in the first degree when 27 such person makes unreasonable noise or disturbance while at a lawfully EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD15275-01-6 
 A. 10785 2 1 assembled religious service, funeral, burial or memorial service, or 2 within five hundred feet thereof, with intent to cause annoyance or 3 alarm or recklessly creating a risk thereof, and 4 1. Interferes with access to a place of religious worship thereby 5 preventing another person from exercising the right of religious freedom 6 therein; or 7 2. Is part of a group or groups of two or more people demonstrating or 8 preparing to demonstrate outside of a place of religious worship, 9 including its parking lot entrances, driveways, driveway entrances, and 10 any other public way that comes in contact with such facilities. 11 Disruption or disturbance of a religious service, funeral, burial or 12 memorial service in the first degree is a class E felony. 13 § 4. This act shall take effect immediately.