STATE OF NEW YORK
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10670
IN SENATE
July 27, 2026
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Introduced by Sen. TEDISCO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to enacting "Joycelynn's Law"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as "Joycelynn's
2 Law".
3 § 2. The penal law is amended by adding two new sections 260.12 and
4 260.13 to read as follows:
5 § 260.12 Aggravated endangering the welfare of a child.
6 1. A person is guilty of aggravated endangering the welfare of a child
7 when such person being a parent or other person responsible for the care
8 of another person under seventeen years of age and, with criminal negli-
9 gence, acts or fails to act in a manner that is likely to cause
10 protracted illness, physical injury, serious physical injury, death, or
11 protracted developmental, psychological or emotional impairment to such
12 person under seventeen years of age.
13 2. For the purpose of this section, criminal negligence includes, but
14 is not limited to a parent or other person responsible for the care of
15 such person under seventeen years of age failing to provide a minimum
16 degree of care:
17 (a) in supplying the person under seventeen years of age with adequate
18 food, clothing, shelter or education in accordance with the provisions
19 of part one of article sixty-five of the education law, or medical,
20 dental, optometric or surgical care, though financially able to do so or
21 offered financial or other reasonable means to do so; or
22 (b) in providing the person under seventeen years of age with proper
23 supervision or guardianship, by unreasonably inflicting or allowing to
24 be inflicted harm, or a substantial risk thereof, including the
25 infliction of excessive corporal punishment; or by misusing a medical-
26 ly-ordered or prescribed drug or drugs; or by misusing alcoholic bever-
27 ages to the extent that the person under the age of seventeen years
28 loses self-control of their actions; or by any other acts of a similarly
29 serious nature requiring the aid of the court.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD16223-01-6
S. 10670 2
1 3. Nothing in this section shall prohibit such parent or guardian from
2 being charged with an offense requiring proof of recklessness or
3 depraved indifference to human life where appropriate.
4 Aggravated endangering the welfare of a child is a class C felony.
5 § 260.13 Aggravated endangering the welfare of a child resulting in
6 death.
7 1. A person is guilty of aggravated endangering the welfare of a child
8 resulting in death when being a parent or other person responsible for
9 the care of another person under seventeen years of age, such person
10 commits the offense of aggravated endangering the welfare of a child as
11 defined in section 260.12 of this article and, by doing so, causes the
12 death of the person under the age of seventeen.
13 2. Nothing in this section shall prohibit such parent or guardian from
14 being charged with an offense requiring proof of recklessness or
15 depraved indifference to human life where appropriate.
16 Aggravated endangering the welfare of a child resulting in death is a
17 class A-I felony.
18 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
