What's happening
The Safe Way Home Act requires free transportation for sexual assault victims and their advocates from medical facilities in New York.
Why it matters
Addresses a critical barrier to care. By ensuring free transportation from medical facilities, this act removes a significant logistical and financial obstacle that sexual assault survivors and their advocates may face after receiving medical treatment, supporting both immediate safety and ongoing recovery.
Supports victim advocates as well as survivors. The inclusion of advocates in the free transportation provision acknowledges the essential role they play in supporting survivors, ensuring they, too, can safely accompany victims without incurring personal costs.
Statewide, standardized support. Applying to all medical facilities across New York, the act creates a uniform safety net, reducing inconsistencies in post-care support and strengthening statewide victim services infrastructure.
Requires state oversight and implementation. The law mandates the relevant state office to establish rules and regulations, which could impact how hospitals, transportation providers, and victim service organizations coordinate, potentially leading to new protocols and funding allocations.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Free Rides for Assault Victims
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Substituted by S3966A
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.356
- Rules report cal.356
- Reported
- Reported referred to rules
- Reported referred to ways and means
- Reported referred to codes
- Print number 5775a
- Amend and recommit to governmental operations
- Referred to governmental operations
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Free Rides for Assault Survivors
Signed by Governor · Sponsor Julia Salazar
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
5775--A
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
February 19, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. LENTOL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Governmental Operations -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to enacting the "safe way home act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "safe way home act".
§ 2. The executive law is amended by adding a new section 631-b to read as follows:
§ 631-b. Safe way home transportation program. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, within amounts appropriated for that purpose, sexual assault crime victims shall be entitled to transportation free of charge from any medical facility in the state in which such sexual assault crime victim received initial medical services. Any crime victim advocate assisting a sexual assault crime victim at a medical facility at the initial delivery of medical services shall also be entitled to transportation free of charge to and from such medical facility. The office is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the provisions of this section.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09283-03-9
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.