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NY S09159

Bill

Status

Introduced

2/9/2026

Primary Sponsor

Michelle Hinchey

Click for details

Origin

Senate

2025-2026 General Assembly

AI Summary

  • Creates new Article 280 in New York Penal Law establishing criminal liability for corporate executives (members, managers, directors, officers) who cause widespread harm through explosions, fires, floods, building collapses, poison gas releases, radioactive material releases, or other destructive forces

  • Aggravated corporate catastrophe (Class B felony): intentionally or knowingly causing a catastrophe while acting in corporate duties

  • Corporate catastrophe (Class C felony): recklessly causing a catastrophe while acting in corporate duties

  • Risking corporate catastrophe (Class D felony): recklessly creating a risk of catastrophe; Failure to prevent corporate catastrophe (Class D felony): knowingly or recklessly failing to take reasonable measures to prevent catastrophe when legally obligated, or assenting to acts causing or threatening catastrophe

  • Requires mandatory forfeiture of business rights in New York for minimum 20 years for any entity whose executive is convicted, enforceable by the Attorney General

Legislative Description

Establishes the crime of corporate catastrophe; defines catastrophe as widespread injury or damage by explosion, fire, flood, avalanche, collapse of building, release of poison gas, radioactive material or other harmful or destructive force or substance, or by any other means of causing potentially widespread injury or damage; establishes crimes for causing, risking, or failing to prevent a catastrophe.

Last Action

REFERRED TO CODES

2/9/2026

Committee Referrals

Codes2/9/2026

Full Bill Text

No bill text available