What's happening
This bill revives expired legal claims for childhood sexual assault, allowing victims one year to file lawsuits regardless of prior time limits.
Why it matters
Empowers survivors. By reviving previously time-barred claims, this bill allows adult survivors of childhood sexual assault to seek justice and accountability that was previously denied due to expired statutes of limitations.
Encourages institutional transparency. Organizations and individuals that may have avoided scrutiny or liability because of lapsed legal deadlines could now face lawsuits, possibly leading to greater transparency and changes in policies to protect children in the future.
Addresses trauma’s long-term effects. Recognizes the reality that many survivors of childhood sexual assault are not able to come forward until years later, validating the need for a legal window that aligns better with the process of healing and disclosure.
Limited duration and jurisdiction. The bill’s one-year window creates urgency for affected individuals to act, but any cases governed by another state’s statute of limitations are excluded, so its reach is focused specifically on New York cases.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Let Child Sex Abuse Victims Sue
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
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History
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6935
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 27, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. LENTOL -- read once and referred to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to actions for sexual assault of an infant and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The civil practice law and rules is amended by adding a new section 215-a to read as follows:
§ 215-a. Actions for sexual assault of an infant. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, any cause of action for physical or psychological injury sustained by a person under eighteen years of age as a result of a sexual assault, which is barred because the statute of limitations has expired, is hereby revived, and an action thereon may be commenced within one year of the effective date of this section. For the purposes of this section, sexual assault shall be a sex offense as defined under article one hundred thirty of the penal law or a predecessor statute at the time of the act. Any such cause of action previously dismissed because of the statute of limitations may be brought under this section notwithstanding such dismissal. The provisions of this section shall be inapplicable to any civil action governed by the statute of limitations of another jurisdiction.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire one year after such effective date, when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed repealed; and provided that the provisions of this act shall apply to causes of action pending or commenced on or after the effective date of this act.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10387-01-9
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.