New York Assembly Bill A05756

New York 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/20/25
• Refer: 2/20/25
• Refer: 1/7/26

Caption

Relates to first responders, including correction officers, coming into contact with saliva by spitting, throwing, tossing, or expelling from or by an individual.

Summary

A05756 would amend New York’s penal law to create a specific offense for intentionally causing or attempting to cause a first responder to come into contact with saliva by spitting, throwing, tossing, or otherwise expelling it. The bill applies when the actor knows or reasonably should know the target is a first responder, and it expressly includes correction officers among the covered personnel. The conduct must be done with intent to harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm the first responder. The measure effectively adds a saliva-contact provision to the state’s harassment-related criminal provisions by renumbering an existing subdivision and inserting a new one. It is designed to address assaults or abusive conduct directed at first responders in the course of their duties, and it would take effect immediately upon enactment.

Impact

The bill would amend section 240.30 of the penal law, expanding criminal liability for conduct involving saliva directed at first responders. It would give law enforcement and prosecutors a more specific statutory basis to charge intentional spitting or similar conduct toward covered personnel, including correction officers, when done with the required harassing or threatening intent. The change would affect individuals accused of such conduct and would provide additional legal protection for first responders in New York.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or recorded vote is available in the provided materials, so there is no documented debate or formal voting history to gauge support or opposition. Based on the bill text and caption, the measure appears aimed at protecting first responders from abusive conduct and is framed as a public-safety and workplace-protection bill. The available record does not show any expressed dissent or amendment concerns.

Contention

Because there are no transcripts or votes included, no specific points of contention are documented in the record provided. Potential areas of debate, based on the text alone, could include whether the bill duplicates existing assault or harassment laws, how broadly “first responder” should be defined, and whether the statute should specifically single out saliva-contact incidents. The bill expressly includes correction officers, which may be notable because it broadens the protected group beyond traditional emergency responders.