Workplace violence State laws

New law aims to protect assault-prone NY workers

utilities

Photo: Huntstock/Thinkstock

Albany, NY – New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) has signed legislation that will elevate assaults on the state’s utility workers, transit station and terminal cleaners, and process servers – formerly misdemeanors – to Class D felonies.

“These workers perform tasks that are vital to the operation of New York institutions and have increasingly become the targets of aggression and assaults,” Cuomo said in an Aug. 19 press release. “Signing these measures into law will help better protect these employees from harm and I thank the sponsors for their work to get them passed.”

The measure classifications are S2251-A/A4738-A (utility workers), S8104/A10048-B (station and terminal cleaners) and S2991-A/A6772-A (process servers).

New York previously enacted laws to strengthen protections for other assault-prone employees, including other Metropolitan Transportation Authority workers and emergency medical service providers and technicians.

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