In an effort to combat intimidation and violence, Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz announced the reintroduction of his anti-mask harassment bill for the 2025-2026 legislative session.
The bill aims to tackle the increasing use of face coverings to intimidate, threaten and harass others, while balancing public safety with constitutional protections for free expression and religious practices.
In recent years, incidents where individuals use masks to conceal their identity and engage in threatening or violent behavior have raised concerns. Dinowitz’s legislation seeks to address these issues by creating a new criminal offense for those who wear face coverings to intentionally menace others. The bill expands New York’s existing aggravated harassment laws, particularly when masks are used to target individuals based on their race, religion, gender or other protected categories.
"Masked harassment has been used as a tool of intimidation and violence," said Dinowitz in his announcement. "This legislation will provide law enforcement with a vital tool to deter such behavior without infringing on legitimate uses of face coverings."
The bill’s provisions specifically target instances where face coverings are used for malicious intent, while ensuring that masks used for health reasons, religious practices or other legitimate purposes are protected. It reintroduces provisions similar to historical anti-mask laws implemented during the height of the Ku Klux Klan who famously wear hoods to hide their identity.
During the pandemic, face coverings became an essential tool for public health and gave rise to individuals wearing full face masks colloquially known as a “sheisty.” The word itself is slang for deceptive or dishonest.
However, the American Civil Liberties Union of New York disagrees and launched a petition to prevent the bill from turning to law.
“A mask ban won’t do anything to stop crime. It will just push people with disabilities further into the margins, target protestors with controversial views and give police new reason to unfairly stop Black, brown and Muslim people who are already disparately surveilled and policed,” reads a comment on their website.
“This bill is about striking a balance between protecting public safety and safeguarding individual freedoms,” Dinowitz emphasized. “While we fully respect the use of face coverings for health, religious, and cultural reasons, this bill will prevent those who weaponize anonymity from terrorizing our communities.”