Rep. Ritchie Torres is introducing legislation aimed at helping bodegas install panic buttons and surveillance equipment. 

The so-called “BODEGA Act,” which Torres rolled out Tuesday, would modify a 1968 law to unlock federal grant funding to help private businesses like bodegas install the equipment. 

Torres, in a statement, said panic buttons would “ensure faster response times from NYPD in dangerous high-stakes situations.”

The bill’s rollout comes after a series of bodega attacks grabbed headlines, including one last month in Torres’ home borough of the Bronx. In late June, a worker at a deli in Fordham Heights was beaten with a sledgehammer amid a dispute over a hookah. 

“Unfortunately, bodega owners and employees often find themselves on the front lines of violent crime, jeopardizing their physical safety and their business’ ability to stay afloat,” Torres said. “I’ve heard countless stories from across my district of bodega owners being physically attacked and lacking the resources to defend themselves, which is simply unacceptable.”

Bodega attacks occurred in other parts of the boroughs as well. Earlier this year, a worker was shot after two men got into a dispute over a cigar in a bodega in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

The legislation is in its earliest stages on Capitol Hill. Torres argues it should not be a partisan issue.

The bill has the backing of Radhames Rodriguez, the president of the United Bodegas of America organization. 

“United Bodegas is very thankful that Rep. Ritchie Torres is introducing this bill so that bodegas can have access to funds which protect bodega businesses and our communities,” he said in a statement.