Makes the theft of a package intentionally taken from a porch, driveway, doorway or other area adjacent to the residence of another following delivery of the package to such residence by the postal service or a commercial carrier a felony.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A4706
SPONSOR: Smith TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the penal law, in relation to making the theft of a
package intentionally taken from a porch, driveway, doorway or other
area adjacent to the residence of another following delivery of the
package to such residence by the postal service or a commercial carrier
a felony
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 Amends section 155.30 of the penal law to add subdivision 5-a
to allow that the property that consists of a package, regardless of its
nature and value of such package, which is intentionally taken from a
porch, driveway, doorway or other area adjacent to the residence of
another following delivery of the package to such residence by the
postal service or a commercial carrier, to be a felony.
Section 2 sets forth the effective date.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE):
JUSTIFICATION:
With the rapid increase in recent years of online commerce, there have
been ever-increasing reports of "porch pirates" who steal packages from
a porch or doorstep after it has been delivered. According to one study,
this has affected nearly 26 million people nationwide, up from 24
million in 2015. This amounts to approximately 7% of Americans having
been victims of porch piracy.
Any unwanted trespass on residential property is invasive and a
violation of another's space. In order to deter this type of activity,
there should be serious penalties in the form of a felony charge when a
theft of a package is committed anywhere on residential property.=
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2019 referred to codes
2020 referred to codes
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the first. of November next succeeding the
date upon which-it shall have become law.
