Both chambers of the New York state legislature passed a budget that included buffer zone laws protecting houses of worship on Tuesday, amid increasing protests and harassment outside of synagogues in New York City.
The Transportation, Economic Development, and Environmental Conservation bill passed 53 to 10 in the Senate and 110 to 33 in the Assembly on Tuesday, which included an amendment to the penal code to prevent interference with access to a place of religious worship. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the legislation on Wednesday.
Heavily acknowledging rising antisemitism and frequent anti-Israel protests in the city, the law prevented New Yorkers from engaging in activity within 50 feet of a house of worship that intentionally obstructed the entrance.
At the discretion of law enforcement, a security perimeter can be established beyond 50 feet of the house of worship, and those who interfere with access to such sites can face a Class B misdemeanor.
The legislation’s preamble noted that anti-religious harassment was escalating in the state, with a marked increase in antisemitic and anti-Islamic crimes in recent years. Incidents noted in the bill were calls of support for Hamas in front of the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills, the November Park East Synagogue protest, and the September Young Israel of New Rochelle protest.
New York State Senator Sam Sutton, who had introduced a buffer zone bill after the November Park East Synagogue protest, on X/Twitter thanked officials and supporters who had advocated for the Tuesday legislative package.
The United Jewish Appeal Federation of New York welcomed the passage, praising Sutton and Hochul for their work, saying that the politicians demonstrated “strong leadership in their unwavering effort to help ensure safe access to critical community institutions and safeguard the right to worship free of harassment and intimidation.”
Mamdani criticized for vetoing school perimeter safety bill
Spectrum News NY1 journalist Bernadette Hogan reported that a group of assembly members celebrated the budget’s passage in a letter but criticized New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani for vetoing a school safety perimeter bill in April.
Mamdani had argued that similar legislation defined educational institutions too broadly, and could consequently “impact workers protesting ICE, or college students demanding their school divest from fossil fuels or demonstrating in support of Palestinian rights.”