What's happening
This bill expands the definition of domestic violence to include identity theft, grand larceny, and coercion as qualifying crimes.
Why it matters
Recognizes financial abuse as domestic violence. By including identity theft and grand larceny, the bill acknowledges that abusers may use financial crimes to control or harm their partners or family members, expanding protections and resources for victims whose experiences go beyond physical violence.
Broadens access to support services. Victims targeted by coercion, identity theft, or grand larceny within a domestic setting could now qualify for domestic violence services, such as emergency shelter, counseling, and legal assistance, which they might have been denied under the previous definition.
Reflects modern patterns of abuse. The amendment recognizes that domestic violence can take many forms—including manipulation, economic control, and psychological tactics like coercion—ensuring the law keeps pace with how abuse is perpetrated today, and not just through physical acts.
Potentially impacts legal proceedings and reporting. Law enforcement, courts, and social service agencies will need to consider a wider range of abusive behaviors as part of domestic violence cases, potentially increasing reporting rates and shaping how cases are prosecuted and managed.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Domestic Violence Crimes
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Signed chap.153
- Delivered to governor
- Returned to senate
- Passed assembly
- Ordered to third reading cal.298
- Substituted for A5608
- Referred to social services
- Delivered to assembly
- Passed senateVote 61–1
- Advanced to third reading
- 2nd report cal.
- 1st report cal.109
Show 1 earlier action
- Referred to social services
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.
Expand Domestic Violence Definition
Assembly Floor Calendar · Sponsor Helene Weinstein
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2625
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 28, 2019
Introduced by Sen. LANZA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Social Services
AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to expanding the crimes included in domestic violence to include identity theft, grand larceny and coercion
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 459-a of the social services law, as amended by chapter 11 of the laws of 2011, is amended to read as follows:
1. "Victim of domestic violence" means any person over the age of sixteen, any married person or any parent accompanied by his or her minor child or children in situations in which such person or such person's child is a victim of an act which would constitute a violation of the penal law, including, but not limited to acts constituting disorderly conduct, harassment, aggravated harassment, sexual misconduct, forcible touching, sexual abuse, stalking, criminal mischief, menacing, reckless endangerment, kidnapping, assault, attempted assault, attempted murder, criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation, [or] strangulation, identity theft, grand larceny or coercion; and
(i) such act or acts have resulted in actual physical or emotional injury or have created a substantial risk of physical or emotional harm to such person or such person's child; and
(ii) such act or acts are or are alleged to have been committed by a family or household member.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD00871-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the social services law, in relation to expanding the crimes included in domestic violence to include identi- ty theft, grand larceny and coercion
Purpose of bill
This legislation will protect victims of domestic abuse by recognizing, as family offenses, some pervasive and insidious forms of economic abuse perpetrated against victims by their abusers.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 of the bill amends subdivision 1 of § 459-a of the Family Court Act, to add identity theft, grand larceny and coercion as forms of domestic violence.
Justification
We know that in addition to physical and psychological tactics, abusers employ economic means to control and otherwise abuse their victim making it harder for victims to secure their safety.
Recognizing economic abuse as a form of domestic abuse, in 2013 via Chapter 526, New York enacted changes to the family offense laws of New York State to add certain forms of economic abuse to the definition of a family offense. At the time, the Social Services Law was inadvertently not amended. This proposal makes conforming changes to the definition of domestic violence in the Social Service Law to reflect the definition changes made to the domestic relations law and the family court act.
Legislative history
2018: S.6293 - Third Reading Calendar/A.1330 - Passed Assembly 2017: S.6293 - Referred to Social Services/A.1330 - Passed Assembly 2016: A.7871 - Passed Assembly 2015: A.7871 - Passed Assembly
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.