What's happening
This bill requires minor victims of sex offenses and their parents or guardians to obtain counseling before filing for compensation.
Why it matters
May create barriers to compensation. By requiring counseling before filing for compensation, the bill could delay or deter some minor victims and their families from seeking financial help, especially if accessing mental health professionals is difficult due to cost, stigma, or availability.
Places additional responsibility on families. The mandate extends to parents or guardians, obligating them to participate in counseling as well, which could be challenging for families already coping with trauma or those with limited resources or time.
Impacts privacy and autonomy. Victims and their families must obtain and submit documentation from a psychiatrist or licensed psychologist, potentially raising concerns about privacy, the right to choose whether to seek counseling, and the use of sensitive mental health records in the compensation process.
Aims to ensure support, but may have unintended effects. While the bill seeks to ensure victims and families receive professional support after trauma, tying that support to compensation eligibility could unintentionally penalize those unable or unwilling to engage in counseling at the mandated time.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Counseling for Child Victims
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Held for consideration in governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1469
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 12, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. CROUCH, McDONOUGH -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to mandatory counseling for minor victims of a sex offense and the parent or guardian of such victims
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 625 of the executive law is amended by adding a new subdivision 2-a to read as follows:
2-a. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this article, and without regard to the financial difficulty of the claimant, a victim of a sex offense, as such sex offense is defined in article one hundred thirty of the penal law, and the parent or guardian of such victim if such victim is a minor, shall obtain counseling from a psychiatrist or licensed psychologist prior to filing a claim for receipt of an award pursuant to this article. A letter issued from such victim's treating psychiatrist or licensed psychologist shall be filed along with such victim's claim.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD04325-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.