New York Governor Hochul Signs Three Laws on October 27 Strengthening Protections for Victims and Survivors of Violence and Exploitation
New York Governor Kathy Hochul on October 27 signed three pieces of legislation strengthening protections for victims and survivors of violence and exploitation across New York State. The new laws expand address privacy for people whose intimate images have been shared without consent, create penalties for hotels and motels that fail to display required information on services for human trafficking survivors, and require that domestic violence survivors be notified before the confidentiality protections on their voter registration records expire.
The first law, S.5041/A.6338, allows people whose intimate photos or videos have been illegally and nonconsensually shared to participate in New York State's Address Confidentiality Program. According to the Governor's office, the program helps people who have moved keep their new home address private by allowing them to use a substitute mailing address. State Senator Luis Sepulveda said the measure ensures victims of revenge porn and the unlawful dissemination of intimate images do not have to choose between seeking justice and protecting their personal safety and privacy.
The second law, S.9341A/A.8939A, strengthens enforcement of existing requirements for hotels, motels and other lodging facilities to display information about services available to victims of human trafficking, establishing civil penalties for locations that fail to comply. State Senator Jessica Scarella-Spanton said that although New York State mandates that hotels post information on services for these victims, not every establishment is in compliance, and the penalties are intended to ensure the information is accessible to people who need it.
The third law, S.9671A/A.10960A, requires the New York State Board of Elections (BOE) to notify domestic violence survivors that the confidentiality of their voter registration information is about to expire. Under existing law, eligible survivors can request that their voter registration information be kept private for four years to prevent an abuser from using public records to locate them; under the new law, BOE must mail survivors a notice at least six months before those protections expire, including instructions for how to renew them. The measure builds on legislation Hochul signed in 2021 allowing domestic violence survivors to request confidentiality for their voter registration records directly from BOE instead of through a formerly mandated court order.
"Protecting victims of domestic violence has always been deeply personal to me," Governor Hochul said. "Every New Yorker deserves to live a life free from fear, and these new laws will help to protect that right." Office of Victim Services Director Bea Hanson said New York has long been a leader in protecting the rights of victims and survivors of crime, and that the state continues to expand access to services, support and compensation. The Governor's office also noted $100 million in state funding to support victim assistance programs and a $23 million investment in the Statewide Targeted Reductions in Intimate Partner Violence (STRIVE) initiative.
Related: Newsom Signs AB 1657, Unifying DV Restraining-Order Rules Statewide
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：纽约州州长 Kathy Hochul（2024年2月官方活动照）。照片：纽约州州长办公室，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / New York Governor Kathy Hochul at an official event in February 2024. Photo: Office of Governor Kathy Hochul, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
