The act of annoying a police officer could become a crime in a New York county.
Under a proposal approved by the Monroe County Legislature, anyone who annoys, alarms or threatens the personal safety of an officer could face up to a year in jail and up to a $5,000 (£3,891) fine.
The measure was passed 17-10 on Tuesday and will also apply to first responders.
The county executive will now hold a public hearing and decide whether to pass it into law.
However, civil rights groups have warned the bill could have a chilling effect on interactions between the police and the public.
“Members of the community have every right to challenge police officers, particularly those that engage in unnecessary behaviour,” Iman Abid, a spokesperson for the New York Civil Liberties Union, told the Associated Press.
“At a time when more accountability of police departments is needed, this law takes us incredibly backward.”
A news release about the legislation mentioned people throwing water over uniformed NYPD officers.
Delores Jones-Brown, a professor at the John Lay College of Criminal Justice, said the statue was overbroad and unconstitutionally vague.
She warned officers could be “annoyed” by a person who asks for their badge number or records their actions on a phone.
