S 5555 NY
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Summary
This bill expands the definition of disorderly conduct under New York penal law by adding five new offenses. The new offenses are: urinating or defecating in a public place, smoking any substance in a prohibited area, possessing an open container of alcohol in a public place, smoking marijuana in a public place, and disobeying signage in municipal or state parks including printed notices and placards. These acts remain subject to the existing requirement that they be committed with intent to cause public inconvenience, annoyance, or alarm, or that they recklessly create such a risk. Disorderly conduct is classified as a violation, and the bill takes effect ninety days after enactment.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Official abstract
Adds offenses to disorderly conduct, including urination and defecation in a public place; smoking any substance in a prohibited area; possessing an open container of alcohol in a public place; smoking marijuana in a public place; or disobeying signage, including but not limited to, printed notices and placards, in any municipal or state park.
Sponsor (1)
- Stephen T. Chan Republican · primary
3 coauthors / cosponsors
- George Borrello Republican · cosponsor
- Mario Mattera Republican · cosponsor
- Anthony H. Palumbo Republican · cosponsor
Action history (4)
- Feb 24, 2025 REFERRED TO CODES · upper
- Jan 7, 2026 REFERRED TO CODES · upper
- Feb 24, 2026 NOTICE OF COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION - REQUESTED · upper
- May 18, 2026 DEFEATED IN CODES · upper
Text versions (2)
Full text
Full text imported from assembly.state.ny.us
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Bill No.: Summary Actions Committee Votes Floor Votes Memo Text LFIN Chamber Video/Transcript S05555 Summary: BILL NO S05555   SAME AS No Same As   SPONSOR CHAN   COSPNSR BORRELLO, MATTERA, PALUMBO   MLTSPNSR   Amd §240.20, Pen L   Adds offenses to disorderly conduct, including urination and defecation in a public place; smoking any substance in a prohibited area; possessing an open container of alcohol in a public place; smoking marijuana in a public place; or disobeying signage, including but not limited to, printed notices and placards, in any municipal or state park.
Go to top S05555 Text:
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________
5555
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 24, 2025 ___________
Introduced by Sens. CHAN, BORRELLO, MATTERA -- 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 disorderly conduct
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 240.20 of the penal law is amended to read as 2 follows: 3 § 240.20 Disorderly conduct. 4 A person is guilty of disorderly conduct when, with intent to cause 5 public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk 6 thereof such person : 7 1. [ He ] engages in fighting or in violent, tumultuous or threatening 8 behavior; or 9 2. [ He ] makes unreasonable noise; or 10 3. [ In ] in a public place, [ he ] uses abusive or obscene language, or 11 makes an obscene gesture; or 12 4. [ Without ] without lawful authority, [ he ] disturbs any lawful assem- 13 bly or meeting of persons; or 14 5. [ He ] obstructs vehicular or pedestrian traffic; or 15 6. [ He ] congregates with other persons in a public place and refuses 16 to comply with a lawful order of the police to disperse; or 17 7. [ He ] creates a hazardous or physically offensive condition by any 18 act which serves no legitimate purpose[ . ] , including, but not limited, 19 littering; or 20 8. urinates or defecates in a public place; or 21 9. smokes any substance in a prohibited area; or 22 10. possesses an open container of alcohol in a public place; or 23 11. smokes marihuana in a public place; or 24 12. disobeys signage in any municipal or state park, including but not 25 limited to, printed notices and placards.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD09415-01-5
S. 5555 2
1 For the purposes of this section, the term "public place" shall mean a 2 place to which the public or a substantial group of persons has access 3 including, but not limited to, any highway, street, road, sidewalk, 4 parking area, shopping area, place of amusement, playground, park or 5 beach, except that the definition of a public place shall not include 6 those premises duly licensed for the sale and consumption of alcoholic 7 beverages on the premises or within their own private property. Such 8 public place shall also include the interior of any stationary motor 9 vehicle which is on any highway, street, road, parking area, shopping 10 area, playground, park or beach located within the city. 11 Disorderly conduct is a violation. 12 § 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 13 have become a law.
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