Council Eyes Hate Crime Bills From UES Lawmakers At Hearing

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — Seven new bills targeting hate crimes will be debated at a public hearing hosted by the Committee to Combat Hate on Wednesday morning in the City Council.

Two of the new bills to be discussed come from Upper East Siders, including District 4's Councilmember Virginia Maloney and District 5's Councilmember Julie Menin, who was recently elected as the first Jewish speaker of City Council. The seven bills are part of Menin's five-point plan to combat antisemitism.

Menin's proposed legislation, Intro 0001-2026, would create a designated safety buffer around the entrances and exits of houses of worship, aimed at preventing harassment, intimidation or interference with people attending religious services, Menin said.

The Speaker's bill was inspired by a pro-Palestine protest in November outside Park East Synagogue in Lenox Hill. The protest was in opposition to an event at the synagogue run by Nefesh B'Nefesh, a nonprofit that helps North American Jewish people move to Israel. If passed, the bill would establish security perimeters of up to 100 feet around doors to houses of worship to keep protestors at a distance from people entering and exiting.

Maloney's bill, Intro 0297-2026, would establish an agency or office designated by the mayor to help religious institutions prepare for security emergencies. Maloney's bill was introduced after a car-ramming at Chabad's headquarters in Crown Heights in late January.

"Religious institutions, especially Jewish houses of worship, face growing threats in an era of anger, misinformation, and division," Maloney said at the time. "These are places where people gather in trust — to reflect, to pray, and to seek meaning — and they should not have to navigate emergency preparedness alone."

Though hate crimes declined 12 percent citywide during 2025, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said antisemitic incidents accounted for 57 percent of reported hate crimes last year, despite the fact that only approximately 10 percent of New York City residents are Jewish. In 2025, 580 hate crimes were reported to the NYPD.

"These numbers remain far too high and antisemitism continues to be the most persistent hate threat that we face," Tisch said in early January.

Lawmakers will also consider several other hate crime–related bills during the public hearing, including measures to help private religious schools install security cameras, create a hate crime hotline and school buffer zones, require the NYPD to report on hate crime cases, and teach students about safe social media use.

The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. at the Council Chambers in City Hall. A livestream will be available here. For members of the public who want to share their thoughts on any of the seven bills, go here. To see the full agenda for Wednesday's meeting, go here.

For questions and tips, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.

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• Protest Outside UES Synagogue's Israel Event Draws Criticism From City Leaders