File #: Int 0001-2026    Version: Name: A plan regarding security perimeters adjacent to places of religious worship.
Type: Introduction Status: Laid Over in Committee
Committee: Committee to Combat Hate
On agenda: 1/29/2026
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to a plan regarding security perimeters adjacent to places of religious worship
Sponsors: Julie Menin, Inna Vernikov, Joann Ariola , Eric Dinowitz, Lynn C. Schulman, Shaun Abreu, James F. Gennaro, Sandra Ung, Farah N. Louis, Mercedes Narcisse, Linda Lee, Gale A. Brewer, Kamillah Hanks, Oswald J. Feliz, Chris Banks, Susan Zhuang, Kevin C. Riley, Virginia Maloney , Phil Wong , Nantasha M. Williams, Elsie Encarnación, Justin E. Sanchez, Yusef Salaam, Ty Hankerson, Darlene Mealy, Christopher Marte, Shekar Krishnan, Shirley Aldebol, Harvey D. Epstein, Simcha Felder, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Shanel Thomas-Henry , Vickie Paladino, David M. Carr, Frank Morano
Council Member Sponsors: 35
Summary: This bill would require the Police Commissioner to establish a plan to address and contain the risk of physical obstruction, physical injury, intimidation, and interference at places of religious worship while preserving and protecting the rights to free speech, assembly, and protest. The plan would include considerations for the New York Police Department (NYPD) to use in determining whether, when, and the extent to which security perimeters may be used to protect entry to and egress from places of religious worship, and for communication with stakeholders, including the public, persons seeking to assemble or protest, and affected religious leaders. The Commissioner would be required to submit a proposed plan and a final plan to the Mayor and Speaker of the Council no later than 45 days and 90 days, respectively, after the bill’s effective date. The final plan would also be posted on NYPD’s website.
Indexes: Report Required
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 1-B, 2. Summary of Int. No. 1-A, 3. Summary of Int. No. 1, 4. Int. No. 1, 5. January 29, 2026 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 6. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 1-29-26, 7. Fiscal Impact Statement - City Council, 8. Proposed Int. No. 1-A - 2/23/26, 9. Proposed Int. No. 1-A -Fiscal Impact Statement - City Council, 10. Committee Report 2/25/26, 11. Hearing Testimony 2/25/26, 12. Hearing Testimony 2/25/26 additional 1, 13. Hearing Testimony 2/25/26 additional 2, 14. Appearance Cards 2/25/26, 15. Hearing Transcript 2/25/26, 16. Proposed Int. No. 1-B - 3/19/26

Proposed Int. No. 1-B

 

By The Speaker (Council Member Menin) and Council Members Vernikov, Ariola, Dinowitz, Schulman, Abreu, Gennaro, Ung, Louis, Narcisse, Lee, Brewer, Hanks, Feliz, Banks, Zhuang, Riley, Maloney, Wong, Williams, Encarnación, J. Sanchez, Salaam, Hankerson, Mealy, Marte, Krishnan, Aldebol, Epstein, Felder, Brooks-Powers, Thomas-Henry, Paladino, Carr and Morano

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to a plan regarding security perimeters adjacent to places of religious worship

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Chapter 1 of title 10 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new section 10-187 to read as follows:

§ 10-187 Plan regarding security perimeters adjacent to places of religious worship. a. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

Interference. The term “interference” means restricting an individual’s freedom of movement.

Intimidation. The term “intimidation” means placing an individual in reasonable fear of physical harm to themselves or to another individual.

Physical obstruction.  The term “physical obstruction” means rendering ingress to or egress from a place of religious worship impassable, or unreasonably difficult or hazardous.

Place of religious worship. The term “place of religious worship” means a building, structure, or place that is used primarily for religious or divine worship or assembly.

b. No later than 45 days after the effective date of the local law that added this section, the police commissioner shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council a proposed plan to address and contain the risk of physical obstruction, physical injury, intimidation, and interference, while preserving and protecting the rights to free speech, assembly, and protest, at places of religious worship through the use of security perimeters, in accordance with subdivision d, at entrances to, and exits from, such places of religious worship, including parking lots or driveways of such places of religious worship.

c. No later than 90 days after the effective date of the local law that added this section, the police commissioner shall submit to the mayor and the speaker of the council, and post on the police department’s website, a final plan.

d. The proposed and final plans shall include considerations to be used by the police department in connection with:

1. Deciding whether and when to use a security perimeter at entrances to, and exits from, a place of religious worship, including the duration of such a security perimeter;

2. Determining the extent of such a security perimeter, as measured from entrances to, and exits from, a place of religious worship;

3. Implementing such a security perimeter, including steps taken by the police department to ensure that such a perimeter neither curtails rights to free speech, assembly, or protest nor impedes emergency access to, or egress from, a place of religious worship, including but not limited to access or egress by emergency personnel;

4. Engaging and communicating with clergy and administrators of a place of religious worship, while carrying out the actions set forth in paragraphs 1 through 3 of this subdivision, in order to understand their relevant needs and concerns; and

5. Engaging and communicating with the public and individuals seeking to assemble or protest at, or to enter and exit from, places of religious worship, while carrying out the actions set forth in paragraphs 1 through 3 of this subdivision, in order to understand their relevant needs and concerns.

e. In the final plan, the police commissioner shall provide to the general public a point of contact for the department regarding the final plan.

f. Nothing in this section shall be construed or interpreted to infringe upon rights granted under the national labor relations act or the labor law.

§ 2. This local law takes effect immediately.

 

REC/RMC

LS #21301/20864/20910/20894/21304

3/18/2026 7:52 PM