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A 10621

Establishes the crime of interference with emergency first responders; safety buffer zone

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Angelino and 9 co-sponsors

Establishes a 15-foot safety buffer around first responders, judges, and prosecutors and makes knowingly ignoring warnings to interfere within that zone a Class B misdemeanor.

PRINT NUMBER 10621B
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · A 10621

Bill Summary: A. 10621-A (2025-2026) – New York

Overview

  • Title: Establishes the crime of interference with emergency first responders; safety buffer zone
  • Jurisdiction: New York
  • Introduced by: A. O’Pharrow, M. Buttenschon (co-sponsors: Ed Braunstein)
  • Committee: Codes (amended and recommitted)
  • Status note: Amended and reprinted as 10621-B; scheduled for further consideration in the Codes committee
  • Effective date: Nineteenth day after enactment (i.e., 90 days after becoming law)

Purpose and Intent

  • Create a specific criminal offense to protect first responders, judges, and prosecutors while they perform official duties.
  • Establish a clear safety buffer zone of 15 feet around such officials to prevent interference, harassment, or threats during the execution of their duties.
  • Allow lawful recording or observation outside the buffer zone, so long as it does not interfere with duties.

Key Provisions

New Criminal Offense

  • Section 240.80 – Interference with designated officials
    • A person commits the offense if they:
    • (a) knowingly approach or remain within a 15-foot safety buffer zone around a first responder, a judge, or a prosecutor engaged in official duties;
    • (b) have been given a verbal warning to stay outside the buffer zone; and
    • (c) knowingly and willfully fails to comply with the warning and remains within or approaches the buffer zone with intent to impede, threaten, harass, or otherwise interfere with the official duties.
  • Classification: Class B misdemeanor.

Definitions

  • First Responder: Includes police, peace officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, paramedics, and other EMS providers in the lawful performance of duties.
  • Safety Buffer Zone: A 15-foot radius around the official while performing duties.

Exclusions and Limitations

  • The following behaviors are not deemed interference:
    • (a) Lawful recording, photographing, or observing of the official, provided it occurs outside the 15-foot buffer and does not interfere with duties.
    • (b) Conduct by a person seeking emergency assistance, providing aid, or following lawful instructions from the official.

Entities Affected

  • Individuals: Any person who knowingly violates the buffer zone after being warned.
  • Officials Protected: State, city, and local first responders; judges; prosecutors at the state, county, or municipal level.
  • Law Enforcement/Legal System: Potentially affects cases involving crowd control, protests, or individuals near active emergency scenes.

Practical and Procedural Considerations

  • Enforcement: Offenders would face a Class B misdemeanor, with penalties likely commensurate with other non-violent offenses of a similar class in New York law (subject to statutory penalty determinations not specified in the text provided).
  • Warnings: A verbal warning from the protected official is a prerequisite for charging the offense.
  • Recording/Observation: Permitted outside the buffer zone, encouraging transparency or media coverage as long as duties are not impeded.
  • Relationship to Emergency Response: The bill explicitly protects those performing duties and clarifies that assisting or obeying lawful instructions falls outside the offense.

Summary of Impact

  • Codifies a tangible safety measure during official duties.
  • Establishes a clear 15-foot protected zone to reduce threats, harassment, and interference.
  • Balances safety with public rights by allowing lawful observation and emergency assistance activity outside the buffer zone.
  • Potentially increases charges in situations where individuals disregard warnings in proximity to officials.

If you’d like, I can add a brief comparative note comparing this buffer-zone approach to similar statutes in other jurisdictions.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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