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 are actually 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 have been filed with the state workplace of sufferer providers on or after December 27. Chances are 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 extra 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 in an effort to maintain New Yorkers secure,” Hochul mentioned in a press launch. “I’m proud that I used to be in a position to 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 must be conscious of the assets our state gives, 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 have been beforehand unvoiced towards their attackers and ineligible for compensation,” mentioned 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 get pleasure from the brand new safety.”
“Greater than 99% of home violence victims expertise monetary abuse, together with pressured debt and identification theft,” mentioned Kelly Owens, government director of the Workplace of Home Violence Prevention. These new legal guidelines improve entry to essential monetary assets for survivors of gender-based violence in order that they will recuperate 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 equivalent to ‘revenge porn.’”
The Sufferer Companies Workplace gives a essential monetary security web for crime victims and survivors who haven’t 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 associate violence, hate and different crimes, to hunt reimbursement from the company for a few of the prices they’ve incurred.
Particular person victims of revenge porn are actually 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 are actually 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 basic enterprise regulation has been amended to offer particular person victims of identification theft with alternative routes to report the crime and permit them to offer extra documentation that collectors should contemplate, which ought to halt any debt assortment actions till that is performed. 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 contemplate coerced sufferer affidavits and/or legal or household court docket paperwork earlier than continuing with assortment.
OVS monetary help additionally assists victims, survivors, and relations 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, which 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 assist, 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, equivalent to medical 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 gives 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.