County in New York makes wearing masks in public illegal, with others to possibly follow

WASHINGTON (TND) — Wearing masks to hide your identity could soon become illegal in Nassau County, New York. Lawmakers just approved a bill that bans masks in public places.

Katherine Drabiak, a professor in the college of public health at the University of South Florida, said the intention behind the legislation is public safety.

Things like head coverings or hoods or face coverings for public safety," Drabiak said, adding that the goal is to "see who people are.

Introduced in response to the antisemitic incidents since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, supporters of the bill say it would prevent protestors from hiding their identities.

What these laws are trying to get at is a different part of behavior that we're seeing at these public gatherings," Drabiak said.

The bill has some exemptions for people who wear masks for health, safety or religious reasons. But Tony Yang, a professor at George Washington University, said the bill could cause some problems.

This could lead to confusion and potential harassment of individuals who wear masks for medical reason reasons," Yang said in a statement.

That is why Drabiak said she believes it's important everyone understands the purpose behind laws like these.

It really is a mechanism to promote public safety and accountability for people to make sure they're not using this as a way to commit crimes," said Drabiak.

Opponents of the bill said it infringes on the health privacy laws of people with disabilities and wouldn't be enforced fairly. Offenders would face up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine.