STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 6347 2019-2020 Regular Sessions IN ASSEMBLY March 6, 2019 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. FALL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to increased penalties for falsely reporting a hate crime The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 240.55 of the penal law is amended by adding a new 2 subdivision 4 to read as follows: 3 4. Alleges in such reporting that a hate crime occurred against a 4 person based on race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender 5 identity or expression, religion, religious practice, age, disability or 6 sexual orientation pursuant to section 485.05 of this chapter. 7 § 2. Section 485.05 of the penal law is amended by adding a new subdi- 8 vision 1-a to read as follows: 9 1-a. A person commits falsely reporting an incident in the second 10 degree as defined in section 240.55 of the penal law, when, knowing the 11 information reported, conveyed or circulated to be false or baseless, he 12 or she alleges that a hate crime occurred pursuant to this section. 13 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD10144-02-9