Assembly Passes the Adult Survivors Act

Speaker Carl Heastie and Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal today announced the Assembly passed the Adult Survivors Act to ensure that adult survivors of sexual assault who were previously time barred from civil action are able seek justice in court (A.648-A, Rosenthal).

“All survivors of sexual abuse deserve justice and to have their day in court,” said Speaker Heastie. “This legislation builds on our previous work to protect survivors of childhood sexual abuse by ensuring that adults who have been subject to such atrocious crimes are able to seek civil redress against their abuser.”

“Regardless of the age, sexual assault leaves deep wounds that often take years to heal. By passing the Adult Survivors Act, the New York State Assembly helps rebalance the scales of justice by providing survivors with the time they need to come forward. When the ASA becomes law, the doors to justice will be flung wide open and survivors will have an opportunity to pursue justice in the courts. I am grateful to my colleagues in the New York State Assembly for standing with survivors and to Speaker Carl Heastie for his leadership. And most of all, I am grateful to the members of our survivor-led coalition who fought fearlessly for years to see this bill become law,” said Assembly Social Services Committee Chair Rosenthal.

The Adult Survivors Act would create a one year window for adult survivors of sexual offenses to bring civil claims that were previously time-barred by current statute of limitations. The legislation would also grant trial preferences to such cases to ensure timely adjudication of such actions.