The New York state legislators 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. Governor 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 fifty feet of a house of worship that intentionally obstructed the entrance.
At the discretion of law enforcement, a security perimeter can be established beyond fifty feet from the house of worship, and those interfering 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.
After the horrific incident outside Park East Synagogue, I became the first legislator to introduce this proposal – and today, buffer zone protections were included in the final State Budget.
Thank you to all the electeds and advocates who joined the fight to worship safely. https://t.co/xYz3ARCqWG
— Senator Sam Sutton (@SenatorSutton) May 26, 2026
New York State Senator Sam Sutton, who had introduced a buffer zone bill after the November Park East Synagogue protest, on X 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 safety perimeter bill for schools in April.
Mamdani had argued that the similar piece of 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.”
