Overview
- State lawmakers inserted the measure into the 2026 budget and Governor Kathy Hochul signed it, creating a statewide 50-foot zone that covers sidewalks, private lots, community centers and religious schools.
- The law makes “criminal interference with access to a place of religious worship” a Class B misdemeanor with penalties up to 90 days in jail or a $500 fine.
- Police are authorized to impose security perimeters larger than 50 feet when large protests or clashes are anticipated, within which demonstrations may be restricted.
- Civil liberties and progressive groups say the rule could chill protected protest activity and have signaled plans to sue, a response that follows an earlier ACLU challenge to a county-level buffer.
- Supporters say the step responds to a rise in disruptive and sometimes antisemitic demonstrations near synagogues and schools, while opponents warn courts will need to weigh the law against First Amendment precedent.