New York lawmakers have voted to establish the crime of improper touching or other sexual contact aboard the subway or other public transportation.
The misdemeanor also applies to public buses or trains and carries a penalty of up to one year in prison.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie says crowded public transit is no excuse for inappropriate and unwarranted sexual contact.
Sponsors say the crime applies regardless of whether contact occurs directly or through clothing, and that it comes in response to incidents where offenders took advantage of crowded subway trains to press against young women who couldn't move away in crowded cars.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
