Slim chance for vics act
ALBANY — Despite a recent flurry of new legislation designed to help adults who were sexually abused as kids, the chances of a law being enacted this year remain a long shot.
The fate of the Child Victims Act continues to rest with state Senate Republicans, who for years have blocked the legislation and so far have shown little interest in getting it passed this year.
“We’re reviewing the issue,” insisted Senate GOP spokesman Scott Reif. “There are a lot of Child Victims Act bills out there.”
But Kathryn Robb, a child sex abuse survivor and advocate for legislation, said, “It’s time for the Senate GOP to step up and get in line with the leadership of Assembly and Dems in the Senate.”
She called on Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan (R-Suffolk County) to bring the legislation to the floor for a vote.
“He can stand on the side of justice and the safety of kids, or continue to align himself with protecting sexual predators and institutions that hide them,” Robb said. “His leadership on this issue will be a defining moment in his political career — lead victims to justice and kids to safety, or obstruct them.”
The Assembly and Senate Democrats and a breakaway group of Senate Dems have all introduced their own versions of the Child Victims Act. And Gov. Cuomo is expected to follow suit soon.
The Assembly expects to pass this week its bill, which has the support of many of the child sex abuse survivors who have been advocating on the issue. The measure is scheduled to clear committee on Tuesday and could be voted on as soon as Wednesday, which would be the first time since 2008 that the chamber took up a Child Victims Act bill.
Assembly bill sponsor Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan) said, “It takes two houses to pass this bill into law. The Senate has to move on it.”
Rosenthal’s bill would allow victims abused as kids to bring civil lawsuits up to their 50th birthday. Under current law, they have until their 23rd birthday.
It would also allow criminal cases to be brought until a victim’s 28th birthday if it’s a felony or to age 25 if it’s a misdemeanor — an extension of five years for both.
The bill includes a one-year window to revive old cases that can no longer be brought under current law, and it would treat public and private institutions the same when it comes to sex abuse cases. Currently, someone abused at a public institution must notify of an intent to sue 90 days from when the incident occurred.