N.Y. Penal Law 490.47 – Criminal use of a chemical weapon or biological weapon in the third degree
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§ 490.47 Criminal use of a chemical weapon or biological weapon in the
Attorney's Note
Under the New York Laws, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:| Class | Prison | Fine |
|---|---|---|
| Class B felony | between 1 and 25 years | up to $30,000 |
Terms Used In N.Y. Penal Law 490.47
- Biological agent: means any micro-organism, virus, infectious substance, or biological product that may be engineered as a result of biotechnology, or any naturally occurring or bioengineered component of any such micro-organism, virus, infectious substance, or biological product, capable of causing:
(a) death, disease, or other biological malfunction in a human, an animal, a plant, or another living organism;
(b) deterioration of food, water, equipment, supplies, or material of any kind; or
(c) deleterious alteration of the environment. See N.Y. Penal Law 490.05 - Biological weapon: means any biological agent, toxin, vector, or delivery system or combination thereof. See N.Y. Penal Law 490.05
- Chemical weapon: means the following, together or separately:
(a) a toxic chemical or its precursors;
(b) a munition or device specifically designed to cause death or other harm through the toxic properties of a toxic chemical or its precursors, which would be released as a result of the employment of such munition or device;
(c) any equipment specifically designed for use directly in connection with the employment of munitions or devices; or
(d) any device that is designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life. See N.Y. Penal Law 490.05 - Select chemical agent: shall mean a chemical weapon which has been identified in regulations promulgated pursuant to subdivision twenty of § 206 of the public health law. See N.Y. Penal Law 490.05
third degree.
A person is guilty of criminal use of a chemical weapon or biological weapon in the third degree when, under circumstances evincing a depraved indifference to human life, he or she uses, deploys, releases, or causes to be used, deployed, or released any select chemical agent or select biological agent, and thereby creates a grave risk of death or serious physical injury to another person not a participant in the crime.
Criminal use of a chemical weapon or biological weapon in the third degree is a class B felony.