Senate BillIntroduced
S 6565: Establishes a person is guilty of arson in the first degree when such person intentionally damages a building or motor vehicle by causing an explosion or a fire and when such explosion or fire is accelerated by use of ignitable liquid or flammable gas.
What S 6565 does, verified January 12, 2026
The bill proposes to amend the Penal Law to increase the penalties for arson in the first degree. A person is guilty of arson in the first degree if they intentionally damage a building or motor vehicle by causing an explosion or fire. This can be done by using ignitable liquid or flammable gas, an incendiary device, or an explosive. The bill also requires the defendant to know that another person is present in the building or motor vehicle at the time of the crime. The penalties for this crime would be a class A-I felony. The bill defines "incendiary device" as a device designed to produce uncontained combustion, such as a breakable container with a wick or similar device capable of being ignited. The bill would take effect 30 days after it becomes a law.
Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: REFERRED TO CODES (2026-01-07)Alert me
Quick answers about S 6565
- What is the current status of S 6565?
- As of January 12, 2026, S 6565 is recorded as "Introduced": it has been introduced and is waiting for its first committee hearing or floor vote. The last recorded action, on January 7, 2026, was "REFERRED TO CODES".
- Did S 6565 pass?
- Not yet. S 6565 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
- Who wrote S 6565, and where is it now?
- S 6565 was authored by Sen. Andrew Lanza with 1 coauthor. Its committee of record is Senate Codes.
Author and sponsors
Full contact details, staff, and committees with Connect, $16/moUnlockRecent actions2 total · showing 2
| Jan. 07, 2026 | REFERRED TO CODES |
| Mar. 17, 2025 | REFERRED TO CODES |
Latest bill textIntroduced version, March 17, 2025 · 395 words
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6565 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE March 17, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. LANZA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to arson in the first degree The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 150.20 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 950 2 of the laws of 1984, is amended to read as follows: 3 § 150.20 Arson in the first degree. 4 1. A person is guilty of arson in the first degree when [he] such 5 person intentionally damages a building or motor vehicle by causing an 6 explosion or a fire and when (a) such explosion or fire is caused by or 7 accelerated by use of ignitable liquid or flammable gas or an incendiary 8 device propelled, thrown [or], placed or otherwise dispersed or distrib- 9 uted inside or near such building or motor vehicle; or when such explo- 10 sion or fire is caused by an explosive; or when such explosion or fire 11 either (i) causes serious physical injury to another person other than a 12 participant, or (ii) the explosion or fire was caused with the expecta- 13 tion or receipt of financial advantage or pecuniary profit by the actor; 14 and when (b) another person who is not a participant in the crime is 15 present in such building or motor vehicle at the time; and (c) the 16 defendant knows that fact or the circumstances are such as to render the 17 presence of such person therein a reasonable possibility. 18 2. As used in this section, "incendiary device" means a [breakable19container] device designed to [explode or] produce uncontained 20 combustion [upon impact, containing flammable liquid and having a wick21or a similar device capable of being ignited] or used as a source of 22 ignition. 23 Arson in the first degree is a class A-I felony. 24 § 2. This act shall take effect on the thirtieth day after it shall 25 have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD10691-01-5
Text of S 6565 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions