NEW YORK – Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced three legal guidelines to develop monetary help and protections for victims and survivors of crime who haven’t sustained bodily accidents that at the moment are efficient.
People who’re victims of illegal posting or posting of an intimate picture, generally known as “revenge porn,” first- and second-degree reckless endangerment, and whose claims had been filed with the state workplace of sufferer providers on or after December 27. It’s possible you’ll now be looking for reimbursement from Sufferer Companies for sure prices associated to the crime. As well as, victims and survivors of interpersonal violence can now use further paperwork and knowledge to show identification theft earlier than a debt will be collected.
“Right here in New York, we help the victims in each method we are able to and can proceed to adapt our legal guidelines with the intention to hold New Yorkers protected,” Hochul stated in a press launch. “I’m proud that I used to be capable of work with my companions within the legislature to enact this legislative bundle to assist victims search the justice they deserve and make New York a safer state for everybody.”
“New Yorkers deserve safety on all fronts, and I am proud to be a part of an administration that may adapt to make sure we are able to present that,” Lt. Col. Antonio Delgado added. “New York crime victims have to be conscious of the assets our state supplies, and with legal guidelines like this going into impact, getting the phrase out is essential.”
“We’re extremely grateful to Governor Hochul for standing up on behalf of victims who had been beforehand unvoiced towards their attackers and ineligible for compensation,” stated Elizabeth Cronin, director of the Workplace of Sufferer Companies. As these modifications went into impact, victims expanded entry to the assets essential to return to their lives.
“We’re pleased with the work we do day in and day trip for the victims and are prepared to assist those that now take pleasure in the brand new safety.”
“Greater than 99% of home violence victims expertise monetary abuse, together with compelled debt and identification theft,” stated Kelly Owens, government director of the Workplace of Home Violence Prevention. These new legal guidelines enhance entry to essential monetary assets for survivors of gender-based violence in order that they’ll get better and restore financial stability.
“We’re grateful to the Governor for her dedication to survivors of gender-based violence and her deep understanding of the essential want to offer safety for survivors of predatory crimes reminiscent of ‘revenge porn.’”
The Sufferer Companies Workplace supplies a essential monetary security web for crime victims and survivors who don’t have any different assets to pay for crime-related bills. Whereas many of those bills stem from people being injured in the course of the crime, state regulation permits some non-physically injured victims and survivors of intimate accomplice violence, hate and different crimes, to hunt reimbursement from the company for a number of the prices they’ve incurred.
Particular person victims of revenge porn at the moment are eligible to hunt reimbursement for counseling and transportation bills, compensation for misplaced earnings, and restore or substitute of important private property from the company. People who’re first- and second-degree reckless hazard victims at the moment are eligible to hunt reimbursement for counseling-related bills, unreimbursed prices of crime scene safety, crime scene cleanup, and compensation for lack of revenue.
As well as, the state’s normal enterprise regulation has been amended to offer particular person victims of identification theft with other ways to report the crime and permit them to offer further documentation that collectors should take into account, which ought to halt any debt assortment actions till that is executed. I accomplished reviewing these paperwork.
People now have the choice to report identification theft to regulation enforcement or by submitting a file to the FTC’s Id Theft Sufferer Id Report course of. Collectors should now additionally take into account coerced sufferer statements and/or legal or household court docket paperwork earlier than continuing with assortment.
OVS monetary help additionally assists victims, survivors, and members of the family with medical payments, funeral and burial bills, and lack of help, amongst different help. New York is the one state within the nation that doesn’t have a cap on prices for medical care or counseling, that means people can obtain assist for so long as they want it.
The Sufferer Companies Workplace additionally funds and helps 239 sufferer help packages throughout the state that present disaster counseling, remedy, emergency shelter, civil authorized help, case administration, and advocacy, amongst different providers, throughout the state.
Whereas eligibility for compensation or reimbursement is decided by a person’s revenue and entry to different assets, reminiscent of medical health insurance, sufferer help packages present providers and help without charge to anybody who wants them. Go to the Bureau of Sufferer Companies web site for extra info and observe the company on Twitter and Fb.
New York State additionally supplies 24/7 help for victims and survivors of home and sexual violence. name 800-942-6906; textual content 844-997-2121; or chat at opdv.ny.gov.