Source: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2019/S6644
Timestamp: 2020-08-11 08:24:59
Document Index: 521613403

Matched Legal Cases: ['§49', '§120', '§  2', '§  3', '§  4', '§  5', '§ 6', '§ 7']

NY State Senate Bill S6644
senate Bill S6644
Relates to operating a vessel while intoxicated when a child who is fifteen years of age or less is a passenger in such vessel
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S6644 (ACTIVE) - Details
Amd §49-a, Nav L; amd §§120.03, 120.04, 125.12 & 125.13, Pen L
S6644 (ACTIVE) - Summary
Relates to operating a vessel while intoxicated when a child who is fifteen years of age or less is a passenger in such vessel.
S6644 (ACTIVE) - Sponsor Memo
BILL NUMBER: S6644
TITLE OF BILL:  An act to amend the navigation law and the penal law,
in relation to operating a vessel while intoxicated when a child who is
fifteen years of age or less is a passenger in such vessel
The purpose of this bill is to align Boating While Intoxicating Offenses
within the Navigation Law with New York State's Leandra's Law, which
provides increased penalties for persons who operate motor vehicles
while intoxicated when a child aged fifteen years or less is a passen-
Section 1 of the bill amends the Navigation Law Section 49-a to add new
paragraphs (e-1), establishing a new crime for persons convicted of
operating a vessel under the influence of alcohol or drugs while a child
who is fifteen years of age or less is a passenger in the vessel. This
section also adds a new paragraph (g), which provides that when a child
of fifteen years or less is present in the vehicle at the time of arrest
and when the operator is the parent, guardian or custodian of such
child, an appropriate report must be made to the Department of Social
Section 2 provides that the new crime is classified as an E Felony and
that any repeat offense will be classified as a D Felony.
Section 3 allows a court to suspend the registration of the vessel and
the driver's privilege to operate a vessel for up to two years based on
a conviction of the new offense.
Section 4 amends the penal law to provide that when a person commits the
newly established crime and their actions result in serious physical
injury to another person, such actions shall be included within vehicu-
lar assault in the second degree, which is a class E felony.
Section 5 amends the penal law to provide that when a person commits the
injury to the child passenger, such actions shall be included within
vehicular assault in the first degree, which is a class D felony.
Section 6 amends the penal law to provide that when a person commits the
newly established crime and their actions result in the death of another
person, such actions shall be included within vehicular manslaughter in
the second degree, which is a class D felony.
Section 7 amends the penal law to provide that when a person commits the
newly established crime and their actions result in the death of the
child passenger, their actions shall be included within vehicular
manslaughter in the first degree, which is a class C felony.
Section 8 provides that this act shall take effect one hundred eighty
While all people who operate vessels while under the influence pose a
danger to others, people who knowingly choose to operate a vessel while
under the influence with a child on their vessel have made a conscious
decision to put that child at risk of harm or death.  An adult can take
steps to avoid riding with a drunk or impaired operator, but a child is
less likely to have any control over such situations. Especially when
the operator is their parent or guardian.
Currently, a first BWI offense is a misdemeanor. This bill would make it
a felony for an individual to operate a vessel while intoxicated or
under the influence of drugs when a child fifteen years or younger is on
the vessel. Additionally, the penal law is updated to include this new
offense within the current crimes of vehicular assault in the first and
second degrees and vehicular manslaughter in the first and second
This act shall take effect on the one hundred and eightieth day after
S6644 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf
AN ACT to amend the navigation law and the penal  law,  in  relation  to
operating a vessel while intoxicated when a child who is fifteen years
of age or less is a passenger in such vessel
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 49-a  of  the  navigation  law  is
amended by adding two new paragraphs (e-1) and (g) to read as follows:
(E-1)  NO PERSON SHALL OPERATE A VESSEL IN VIOLATION OF PARAGRAPH (A),
(B), (C), (D), OR (E) OF THIS SUBDIVISION WHILE A CHILD WHO  IS  FIFTEEN
YEARS OF AGE OR LESS IS A PASSENGER IN SUCH VESSEL.
(G)  WHERE  A LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER ALLEGES A VIOLATION OF PARAGRAPH
(E-1) OF THIS SUBDIVISION AND THE OPERATOR OF THE VESSEL  IS  A  PARENT,
GUARDIAN, CUSTODIAN OF, OR OTHER PERSON LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR, A CHILD
WHO  IS  FIFTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR LESS WHO IS A PASSENGER IN SUCH VESSEL,
SUCH OFFICER SHALL REPORT OR CAUSE A REPORT TO  BE  MADE  IN  ACCORDANCE
WITH TITLE SIX OF ARTICLE SIX OF THE SOCIAL SERVICES LAW, IF APPLICABLE.
§  2.  Subparagraphs  2  and  3  of paragraph (f) of subdivision 2 and
subdivision 5-a of section 49-a of the navigation law, as amended by and
subdivision 5-a as added by chapter 239 of the laws of 2016, are amended
(2) A person who operates a vessel in violation of paragraph (b), (c),
(d) or (e)  of  this  subdivision  after  having  been  convicted  of  a
violation  of  paragraph (b), (c), (d) or (e) of this subdivision, or of
operating a vessel or public vessel while intoxicated or while under the
influence of  drugs,  within  the  preceding  ten  years,  OR  A  PERSON
CONVICTED  OF  A VIOLATION OF PARAGRAPH (E-1) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, shall
be guilty of a class E felony and shall  be  punished  by  a  period  of
imprisonment as provided in the penal law, or by a fine of not less than
one  thousand  dollars  nor  more than five thousand dollars, or by both
LBD13537-02-9
S. 6644                             2
such fine and imprisonment.   (3) A person  who  operates  a  vessel  in
(c),  (d)  or (e) of this subdivision or of operating a vessel or public
vessel while intoxicated or under the influence  of  drugs,  within  the
preceding  ten  years, OR A PERSON CONVICTED OF A VIOLATION OF PARAGRAPH
(E-1) OF THIS SUBDIVISION AFTER HAVING BEEN CONVICTED OF A VIOLATION  OF
SUCH  PARAGRAPH  WITHIN  THE  PRECEDING  TEN YEARS, shall be guilty of a
class D felony and shall be punished by a fine  of  not  less  than  two
5-a.  Sentencing; previous convictions. When sentencing a person for a
violation of paragraph (b), (c), (d) [or], (e) OR (E-1)  of  subdivision
two  of  this  section  pursuant to subparagraph two of paragraph (f) of
subdivision two of this section, the  court  shall  consider  any  prior
convictions  the  person  may  have  for a violation of subdivision two,
two-a, three, four, or four-a of section eleven  hundred  ninety-two  of
the  vehicle  and  traffic  law  within  the  preceding  ten years. When
sentencing a person for a violation of paragraph (b), (c), (d) [or], (e)
OR (E-1) of subdivision two of this  section  pursuant  to  subparagraph
three  of  paragraph  (f)  of subdivision two of this section, the court
shall consider any prior convictions the person may have for a violation
of subdivision two, two-a, three, four,  or  four-a  of  section  eleven
hundred  ninety-two  of the vehicle and traffic law within the preceding
ten years. When sentencing a person for a violation of subparagraph  two
of  paragraph  (a)  of  subdivision two of this section, the court shall
consider any prior convictions the person may have for  a  violation  of
any  subdivision of section eleven hundred ninety-two of the vehicle and
traffic law within the preceding five years. When  sentencing  a  person
for  a  violation  of subparagraph three of paragraph (a) of subdivision
person  may  have  for  a violation of any subdivision of section eleven
hundred ninety-two of the vehicle and traffic law within  the  preceding
§  3.  Subparagraph 3 of paragraph (a) of subdivision 3, subdivision 5
and paragraph (a) of subdivision 7 of section  49-a  of  the  navigation
law, as added by chapter 805 of the laws of 1992, are amended to read as
(3)  a  period  of twenty-four months where a person is convicted of a
section  after  having  been  convicted of a violation of paragraph (b),
(c), (d) or (e) of subdivision two of this section  or  of  operating  a
vessel  or  public  vessel  while  intoxicated or under the influence of
drugs within the preceding  ten  years,  OR  A  PERSON  CONVICTED  OF  A
VIOLATION OF PARAGRAPH (E-1) OF SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION.
discharge  for a violation of paragraph (b), (c), (d) [or], (e) OR (E-1)
of subdivision two of this section nor shall he or she impose a sentence
of conditional discharge unless such conditional discharge  is  accompa-
nied by a sentence of a fine as provided in this section.
(a)  Any person who operates a vessel on the waters of the state shall
be requested to consent to a chemical test of one or more of the follow-
ing: breath, blood, urine, or saliva for the purpose of determining  the
alcoholic  or  drug  content  of  his  blood, provided that such test is
S. 6644                             3
administered at the direction of a police officer: (1) having reasonable
cause to believe such person to have been operating in violation of this
subdivision or paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d) [or], (e) OR (E-1) of subdi-
vision  two  of  this section and within two hours after such person has
been placed under arrest for any such violation or (2) within two  hours
after  a  breath test as provided in paragraph (b) of subdivision six of
this section indicates that alcohol has been consumed by such person and
in accordance with the rules and regulations established by  the  police
force of which the officer is a member.
§  4.  Subdivision 1 of section 120.03 of the penal law, as amended by
chapter 732 of the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
graph  (b),  (c),  (d)  [or], (e) OR (E-1) of subdivision two of section
§  5.  Subdivision  6  of section 120.04 of the penal law, as added by
chapter 496 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
(6) commits such crime while operating a motor vehicle OR VESSEL while
a child who is fifteen years of age or less is a passenger in such motor
vehicle OR VESSEL and causes serious physical injury to such child.
§ 6. Subdivision 1 of section 125.12 of the penal law, as  amended  by
traffic  law or operates a vessel or public vessel in violation of para-
graph (b), (c), (d) [or], (e) OR (E-1) of  subdivision  two  of  section
§ 7. Subdivision 6 of section 125.13 of the penal  law,  as  added  by
vehicle OR VESSEL and causes the death of such child.