Adult Survivors Act Passes to Through the Judiciary Committee

Residents of New York who have survived sexual abuse have reason for new hope. The Adult Survivors Act has passed through the Senate Judiciary Committee.

What is the Adult Survivors Act?

The Adult Survivors Act is a bill that was created in New York to give adult survivors of sexual abuse the opportunity to file civil claims against their abusers. The bill further gives survivors the chance to do this even if the statute of limitations has passed from the time they were originally abused. The bill was created based on the Child Victims Act, which allowed over 10,000 survivors of childhood sexual abuse to hold their abusers liable years after the crimes took place.

What do the lawmakers have to say about the passage of the bill?

New York State Senator Brad Holyman, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee who sponsored the bill alongside Assembly Member Linda B. Rosenthal, expressed positive comments about the bill passing through the Judiciary Committee. He stated that all survivors, regardless of who their abusers were, deserve to have the chance to go to court to have them held accountable.

Assembly Member Rosenthal joined Senator Holyman in expressing hope over the bill passing the Senate Judiciary Committee. She stated that she and her colleagues would continue to fight for the rights of sexual assault survivors in New York and that she looks forward to the Adult Survivors Act passing to become an official law.

The bill has great support from survivors of adult sexual abuse and advocacy groups like Safe Horizon. Survivors have expressed support for the Adult Survivors Act and stated that they would hold her abuser liable for the abuses they suffered.

If you survived sexual abuse as an adult, there are options to hold your abuser accountable for their crime. This bill is a step in the right direction to help survivors exercise their rights.