Bill Text: NY S05893 | 2009-2010 | General Assembly | Amended


Bill Title: Establishes the period of limitation for the prosecution of a sex offense defined in article 130 of the penal law, incest or use of a child in a sexual performance committed against a person less than eighteen years of age shall not begin to run until the person has reached the age of twenty-three or the offense is reported to law enforcement or the statewide central register of child abuse and maltreatment, whichever occurs earlier; allows civil claims or causes of action brought by any person for physical, psychological or other injury or condition suffered as a result of conduct that is a sex offense as defined in article 130 of the penal law, incest or use of a child in a sexual performance committed against a child who was less than eighteen years of age at the time shall be allowed to be commenced five years after the child reaches the age of twenty-three; revives for 1 year, any such civil claim or cause of action which was barred because the applicable statute of limitations expired.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-06-02 - CONSIDERED BY COMMITTEE - DEFEATED [S05893 Detail]

Download: New_York-2009-S05893-Amended.html
                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________
                                        5893--A
                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions
                                   I N  S E N A T E
                                     June 18, 2009
                                      ___________
       Introduced by Sens. HASSELL-THOMPSON, ESPADA, HUNTLEY, KRUEGER, MONTGOM-
         ERY,  OPPENHEIMER,  PARKER,  SAMPSON,  SCHNEIDERMAN  -- read twice and
         ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee  on
         Rules  --  recommitted  to  the  Committee on Codes in accordance with
         Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill  amended,  ordered
         reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
       AN  ACT  to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to the timeli-
         ness of prosecutions for certain sex offenses; and to amend the  civil
         practice  law  and rules, in relation to the timeliness for commencing
         certain civil actions related to sex offenses
         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
    1    Section  1.  Paragraph  (f)  of  subdivision 3 of section 30.10 of the
    2  criminal procedure law, as separately amended by chapters 3 and  320  of
    3  the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
    4    (f)  For  purposes  of  a  prosecution  involving  a sexual offense as
    5  defined in article one hundred thirty of the penal  law,  other  than  a
    6  sexual  offense  delineated  in paragraph (a) of subdivision two of this
    7  section, committed against a child less  than  eighteen  years  of  age,
    8  incest  in  the  first,  second  or  third degree as defined in sections
    9  255.27, 255.26 and 255.25 of the penal law  committed  against  a  child
   10  less  than eighteen years of age, or use of a child in a sexual perform-
   11  ance as defined in section 263.05 of the penal law, the period of  limi-
   12  tation  shall  not  begin  to run until the child has reached the age of
   13  [eighteen] TWENTY-THREE or the offense is reported to a law  enforcement
   14  agency  or  statewide  central register of child abuse and maltreatment,
   15  whichever occurs earlier.
   16    S 2. The opening paragraph of section 208 of the  civil  practice  law
   17  and  rules  is  designated  subdivision (a) and a new subdivision (b) is
   18  added to read as follows:
        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD05380-15-0
       S. 5893--A                          2
    1    (B) NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION (A) OF THIS SECTION,
    2  WITH RESPECT TO ALL CIVIL CLAIMS OR CAUSES  OF  ACTION  BROUGHT  BY  ANY
    3  PERSON FOR PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL OR OTHER INJURY OR CONDITION SUFFERED
    4  AS  A  RESULT  OF  CONDUCT  WHICH  WOULD  CONSTITUTE A SEXUAL OFFENSE AS
    5  DEFINED IN ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED THIRTY OF THE PENAL LAW COMMITTED AGAINST
    6  A  CHILD  LESS  THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, INCEST AS DEFINED IN SECTION
    7  255.25, 255.26 OR 255.27 OF THE PENAL LAW COMMITTED AGAINST A CHILD LESS
    8  THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, OR THE USE OF A CHILD IN A  SEXUAL  PERFORM-
    9  ANCE  AS  DEFINED  IN  SECTION 263.05 OF THE PENAL LAW, OR A PREDECESSOR
   10  STATUTE THAT PROHIBITED SUCH CONDUCT AT  THE  TIME  OF  THE  ACT,  WHICH
   11  CONDUCT  WAS  COMMITTED AGAINST A CHILD LESS THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE,
   12  THE TIME WITHIN WHICH THE ACTION MUST BE COMMENCED SHALL BE EXTENDED  TO
   13  FIVE YEARS AFTER THE PERSON REACHES THE AGE OF TWENTY-THREE YEARS.
   14    S  3.  The  civil  practice  law  and rules is amended by adding a new
   15  section 3012-b to  read as follows:
   16    S 3012-B. CERTAIN CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASES; CERTIFICATE OF MERIT.  (A)
   17  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  PROVISION OF LAW WHICH IMPOSES A PERIOD OF LIMITA-
   18  TION TO THE CONTRARY, EVERY CIVIL CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION BROUGHT BY  A
   19  PERSON  FOR  PHYSICAL,  PSYCHOLOGICAL,  OR  OTHER  INJURY  OR  CONDITION
   20  SUFFERED AS A RESULT OF CONDUCT WHICH WOULD CONSTITUTE A SEXUAL  OFFENSE
   21  AS  DEFINED  IN  ARTICLE  ONE  HUNDRED THIRTY OF THE PENAL LAW COMMITTED
   22  AGAINST A CHILD LESS THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, INCEST  AS  DEFINED  IN
   23  SECTION  255.25,  255.26  OR 255.27 OF THE PENAL LAW COMMITTED AGAINST A
   24  CHILD LESS THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, OR THE USE OF A CHILD IN A SEXUAL
   25  PERFORMANCE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 263.05 OF THE PENAL LAW, OR  A  PREDE-
   26  CESSOR  STATUTE  THAT  PROHIBITED  SUCH  CONDUCT AT THE TIME OF THE ACT,
   27  WHICH CONDUCT WAS COMMITTED AGAINST A CHILD LESS THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS  OF
   28  AGE,  WHICH  IS  BARRED AS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION BECAUSE
   29  THE APPLICABLE PERIOD OF LIMITATION HAS EXPIRED IS HEREBY  REVIVED,  AND
   30  ACTION  THEREON  MAY BE COMMENCED PROVIDED THAT SUCH ACTION IS COMMENCED
   31  WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
   32    (A-1) ANY CIVIL CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION BROUGHT PURSUANT TO  SUBDIVI-
   33  SION  (A)  OF  THIS  SECTION MAY ONLY BE COMMENCED FOR CONDUCT COMMITTED
   34  AGAINST SUCH CHILD FORTY YEARS OR LESS BEFORE THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS
   35  SECTION OR COMMENCED WITHIN FORTY YEARS OF SUCH CHILD REACHING  THE  AGE
   36  OF EIGHTEEN YEARS.
   37    (B)  IN ANY ACTION BROUGHT PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION (A) OF THIS SECTION
   38  FOR PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, OR OTHER INJURY OR CONDITION SUFFERED AS  A
   39  RESULT  OF  CONDUCT WHICH WOULD CONSTITUTE A SEXUAL OFFENSE AS DESCRIBED
   40  IN SUBDIVISION (A) OF THIS SECTION, THE COMPLAINT SHALL  BE  ACCOMPANIED
   41  BY  A  CERTIFICATE  OF  MERIT  AS  DESCRIBED  IN SUBDIVISION (C) OF THIS
   42  SECTION.
   43    (C) A CERTIFICATE OF MERIT FILED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION (B)  OF  THIS
   44  SECTION  SHALL  BE  FILED  BY  THE  ATTORNEY FOR THE PLAINTIFF AND SHALL
   45  CONTAIN A NOTARIZED STATEMENT BY A QUALIFIED PSYCHIATRIST, AS DEFINED IN
   46  SECTION 9.01 OF THE MENTAL  HYGIENE  LAW,  A  PSYCHOLOGIST  AS  LICENSED
   47  PURSUANT  TO  ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE OF THE EDUCATION LAW, OR A
   48  PERSON IN THE PRACTICE OF MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING, AS DEFINED IN SUBDI-
   49  VISION ONE OF SECTION EIGHTY-FOUR HUNDRED TWO OF THE EDUCATION LAW,  WHO
   50  IS  KNOWLEDGEABLE  IN  THE  RELEVANT  FACTS  AND  ISSUES INVOLVED IN THE
   51  PARTICULAR ACTION, AND STATES IN REASONABLE DETAIL THE FACTS  AND  OPIN-
   52  IONS  THAT  THE  PERSON  HAS  RELIED UPON FOR CONCLUDING THAT THERE IS A
   53  REASONABLE BASIS TO BELIEVE THAT THE PLAINTIFF HAS BEEN SUBJECT  TO  ONE
   54  OR  MORE ACTS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED IN SUBDIVISION
   55  (A) OF THIS SECTION. THE PERSON PROVIDING SUCH STATEMENT MAY  NOT  BE  A
   56  PARTY TO THE LITIGATION.
       S. 5893--A                          3
    1    (D) WHERE A CERTIFICATE IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, A SINGLE
    2  CERTIFICATE  SHALL  BE  FILED  FOR  EACH  ACTION,  EVEN IF MORE THAN ONE
    3  DEFENDANT HAS BEEN NAMED IN THE COMPLAINT OR IS SUBSEQUENTLY NAMED.
    4    S  4.  The  civil  practice  law  and rules is amended by adding a new
    5  section 214-f to read as follows:
    6    S 214-F. ACTION BY  VICTIM  OF  CONDUCT  CONSTITUTING  CERTAIN  SEXUAL
    7  OFFENSES  AND  NOTICE  OF CLAIM AS CONDITION PRECEDENT. SECTIONS FIFTY-E
    8  AND FIFTY-I OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW, SECTION  THIRTY-EIGHT  HUNDRED
    9  THIRTEEN OF THE EDUCATION LAW AND THE PROVISIONS OF ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL
   10  OR  LOCAL LAW OR CHARTER REQUIRING AS A CONDITION PRECEDENT TO COMMENCE-
   11  MENT OF AN ACTION OR SPECIAL PROCEEDING THAT A  NOTICE  OF  A  CLAIM  BE
   12  FILED  OR PRESENTED WITHIN A SPECIFIED PERIOD OF TIME AFTER THE CLAIM OR
   13  ACTION OR ACTION ACCRUED, SHALL NOT APPLY TO ANY CLAIM  MADE  FOR  PHYS-
   14  ICAL,  PSYCHOLOGICAL,  OR OTHER INJURY OR CONDITION SUFFERED AS A RESULT
   15  OF CONDUCT OF A DEFENDANT WHICH WOULD CONSTITUTE  A  SEXUAL  OFFENSE  AS
   16  DEFINED IN ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED THIRTY OF THE PENAL LAW COMMITTED AGAINST
   17  A  CHILD  LESS  THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, INCEST AS DEFINED IN SECTION
   18  255.25, 255.26, OR 255.27 OF THE PENAL LAW  COMMITTED  AGAINST  A  CHILD
   19  LESS  THAN  EIGHTEEN  YEARS  OF  AGE,  OR THE USE OF A CHILD IN A SEXUAL
   20  PERFORMANCE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 263.05  OF  THE  PENAL  LAW  COMMITTED
   21  AGAINST A CHILD LESS THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.
   22    S 5. The provisions of this act shall be severable, and if any clause,
   23  sentence,  paragraph,  subdivision or part of this act shall be adjudged
   24  by any court of competent jurisdiction  to  be  invalid,  such  judgment
   25  shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall
   26  be  confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdi-
   27  vision or part thereof directly involved in  the  controversy  in  which
   28  such judgment shall have been rendered.
   29    S 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
feedback