Bill > S03980

This bill amends the New York Criminal Procedure Law to remove a provision that previously allowed evidence of a victim's prior prostitution conviction (within three years before a sex offense) to be admissible in court. Specifically, the bill eliminates subdivision 2 from Section 60.42, which previously permitted such evidence in sex offense prosecutions. Under the existing law, evidence of a victim's sexual conduct was generally not admissible in sex offense cases, with a few exceptions. The bill narrows these exceptions by removing the ability to introduce a victim's prostitution conviction as evidence. This change appears intended to protect victims from having their past potentially used against them in court, potentially reducing stigma and preventing irrelevant past conduct from prejudicing a jury. The amendment will take effect on the first of November following its passage into law, which means victims in future sex offense cases will be protected from having their prior prostitution convictions introduced as evidence during trial.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S3980