Bill > S05871

This bill amends New York's Civil Rights Law to modify the private right of action for disclosing the identity of a victim of a sex offense. Currently, the law protects the confidentiality of victims of sex offenses and offenses involving HIV transmission by preventing public disclosure of identifying information. The key change is that now only the victim themselves can bring a lawsuit for disclosure of their identity, and only if the identity has not already been publicly disclosed. Previously, any person injured by such disclosure could file a lawsuit. The bill narrows the scope of who can bring legal action, limiting it solely to the victim. If a victim successfully brings such a lawsuit, the court may still award reasonable attorney's fees. The modifications aim to provide more control to the victim over their own identifying information while maintaining the fundamental protections against unauthorized disclosure of sensitive personal details related to sex offenses.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S5871