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                           S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
       ________________________________________________________________________

                                        2596--B
                                                               Cal. No. 262

                              2009-2010 Regular Sessions

                                 I N  A S S E M B L Y

                                   January 21, 2009
                                      ___________

       Introduced  by  M. of A. MARKEY, MILLMAN, KOON, BRENNAN, DESTITO, GALEF,
         GLICK, JOHN, LIFTON, MAYERSOHN, PRETLOW,  DINOWITZ,  JAFFEE,  LATIMER,
         SCHROEDER,  BRADLEY,  LANCMAN, GUNTHER, SPANO, FIELDS, HIKIND, EDDING-
         TON, ROSENTHAL,  ENGLEBRIGHT,  ESPAILLAT,  AUBRY,  BARRON,  CASTRO  --
         Multi-Sponsored  by -- M. of A. BURLING, CLARK, CONTE, ERRIGO, GORDON,
         GOTTFRIED, JACOBS, KELLNER,  LUPARDO,  MAGEE,  MILLER,  NOLAN,  RAMOS,
         RUSSELL,  SCARBOROUGH  --  read  once and referred to the Committee on
         Codes -- reported from committee, advanced to a third reading, amended
         and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on the order of third read-
         ing -- again amended on third reading,  ordered  reprinted,  retaining
         its place on the order of third reading

       AN  ACT  to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to the timeli-
         ness of prosecutions for certain sex offenses; and to amend the  civil
         practice  law  and rules, in relation to the timeliness for commencing
         certain civil actions related to sex offenses

         THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
       BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

    1    Section  1.  Paragraph  (f)  of  subdivision 3 of section 30.10 of the
    2  criminal procedure law, as separately amended by chapters 3 and  320  of
    3  the laws of 2006, is amended to read as follows:
    4    (f)  For  purposes  of  a  prosecution  involving  a sexual offense as
    5  defined in article one hundred thirty of the penal  law,  other  than  a
    6  sexual  offense  delineated  in paragraph (a) of subdivision two of this
    7  section, committed against a child less  than  eighteen  years  of  age,
    8  incest  in  the  first,  second  or  third degree as defined in sections
    9  255.27, 255.26 and 255.25 of the penal law  committed  against  a  child
   10  less  than eighteen years of age, or use of a child in a sexual perform-
   11  ance as defined in section 263.05 of the penal law, the period of  limi-
   12  tation  shall  not  begin  to run until the child has reached the age of
   13  [eighteen] TWENTY-THREE or the offense is reported to a law  enforcement

        EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                             [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                  LBD05380-13-9
       A. 2596--B                          2

    1  agency  or  statewide  central register of child abuse and maltreatment,
    2  whichever occurs earlier.
    3    S  2.  The  opening paragraph of section 208 of the civil practice law
    4  and rules is designated subdivision (a) and a  new  subdivision  (b)  is
    5  added to read as follows:
    6    (B) NOTWITHSTANDING THE PROVISIONS OF SUBDIVISION (A) OF THIS SECTION,
    7  WITH  RESPECT  TO  ALL  CIVIL  CLAIMS OR CAUSES OF ACTION BROUGHT BY ANY
    8  PERSON FOR PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL OR OTHER INJURY OR CONDITION SUFFERED
    9  AS A RESULT OF CONDUCT  WHICH  WOULD  CONSTITUTE  A  SEXUAL  OFFENSE  AS
   10  DEFINED IN ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED THIRTY OF THE PENAL LAW COMMITTED AGAINST
   11  A  CHILD  LESS  THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, INCEST AS DEFINED IN SECTION
   12  255.25, 255.26 OR 255.27 OF THE PENAL LAW COMMITTED AGAINST A CHILD LESS
   13  THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, OR THE USE OF A CHILD IN A  SEXUAL  PERFORM-
   14  ANCE  AS  DEFINED  IN  SECTION 263.05 OF THE PENAL LAW, OR A PREDECESSOR
   15  STATUTE THAT PROHIBITED SUCH CONDUCT AT  THE  TIME  OF  THE  ACT,  WHICH
   16  CONDUCT  WAS  COMMITTED AGAINST A CHILD LESS THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE,
   17  THE TIME WITHIN WHICH THE ACTION MUST BE COMMENCED SHALL BE EXTENDED  TO
   18  FIVE YEARS AFTER THE PERSON REACHES THE AGE OF TWENTY-THREE YEARS.
   19    S  3.  The  civil  practice  law  and rules is amended by adding a new
   20  section 3012-b to  read as follows:
   21    S 3012-B. CERTAIN CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE CASES; CERTIFICATE OF MERIT.  (A)
   22  NOTWITHSTANDING  ANY  PROVISION OF LAW WHICH IMPOSES A PERIOD OF LIMITA-
   23  TION TO THE CONTRARY, EVERY CIVIL CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION BROUGHT BY  A
   24  PERSON  FOR  PHYSICAL,  PSYCHOLOGICAL,  OR  OTHER  INJURY  OR  CONDITION
   25  SUFFERED AS A RESULT OF CONDUCT WHICH WOULD CONSTITUTE A SEXUAL  OFFENSE
   26  AS  DEFINED  IN  ARTICLE  ONE  HUNDRED THIRTY OF THE PENAL LAW COMMITTED
   27  AGAINST A CHILD LESS THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, INCEST  AS  DEFINED  IN
   28  SECTION  255.25,  255.26  OR 255.27 OF THE PENAL LAW COMMITTED AGAINST A
   29  CHILD LESS THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, OR THE USE OF A CHILD IN A SEXUAL
   30  PERFORMANCE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 263.05 OF THE PENAL LAW, OR  A  PREDE-
   31  CESSOR  STATUTE  THAT  PROHIBITED  SUCH  CONDUCT AT THE TIME OF THE ACT,
   32  WHICH CONDUCT WAS COMMITTED AGAINST A CHILD LESS THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS  OF
   33  AGE,  WHICH  IS  BARRED AS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION BECAUSE
   34  THE APPLICABLE PERIOD OF LIMITATION HAS EXPIRED IS HEREBY  REVIVED,  AND
   35  ACTION  THEREON  MAY BE COMMENCED PROVIDED THAT SUCH ACTION IS COMMENCED
   36  WITHIN ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SECTION.
   37    (A-1) ANY CIVIL CLAIM OR CAUSE OF ACTION BROUGHT PURSUANT TO  SUBDIVI-
   38  SION  (A)  OF  THIS  SECTION MAY ONLY BE COMMENCED FOR CONDUCT COMMITTED
   39  AGAINST SUCH CHILD THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OR LESS BEFORE THE  EFFECTIVE  DATE
   40  OF  THIS  SECTION  OR  COMMENCED  WITHIN THIRTY-FIVE YEARS OF SUCH CHILD
   41  REACHING THE AGE OF EIGHTEEN YEARS.
   42    (B) IN ANY ACTION BROUGHT PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION (A) OF THIS  SECTION
   43  FOR  PHYSICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, OR OTHER INJURY OR CONDITION SUFFERED AS A
   44  RESULT OF CONDUCT WHICH WOULD CONSTITUTE A SEXUAL OFFENSE  AS  DESCRIBED
   45  IN  SUBDIVISION  (A) OF THIS SECTION, THE COMPLAINT SHALL BE ACCOMPANIED
   46  BY A CERTIFICATE OF MERIT  AS  DESCRIBED  IN  SUBDIVISION  (C)  OF  THIS
   47  SECTION.
   48    (C)  A  CERTIFICATE OF MERIT FILED PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION (B) OF THIS
   49  SECTION SHALL BE FILED BY THE  ATTORNEY  FOR  THE  PLAINTIFF  AND  SHALL
   50  CONTAIN A NOTARIZED STATEMENT BY A QUALIFIED PSYCHIATRIST, AS DEFINED IN
   51  SECTION  9.01  OF  THE  MENTAL  HYGIENE  LAW, A PSYCHOLOGIST AS LICENSED
   52  PURSUANT TO ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED FIFTY-THREE OF THE EDUCATION LAW,  OR  A
   53  PERSON IN THE PRACTICE OF MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING, AS DEFINED IN SUBDI-
   54  VISION  ONE OF SECTION EIGHTY-FOUR HUNDRED TWO OF THE EDUCATION LAW, WHO
   55  IS KNOWLEDGEABLE IN THE  RELEVANT  FACTS  AND  ISSUES  INVOLVED  IN  THE
   56  PARTICULAR  ACTION,  AND STATES IN REASONABLE DETAIL THE FACTS AND OPIN-
       A. 2596--B                          3

    1  IONS THAT THE PERSON HAS RELIED UPON FOR  CONCLUDING  THAT  THERE  IS  A
    2  REASONABLE  BASIS  TO BELIEVE THAT THE PLAINTIFF HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO ONE
    3  OR MORE ACTS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED IN  SUBDIVISION
    4  (A)  OF  THIS  SECTION. THE PERSON PROVIDING SUCH STATEMENT MAY NOT BE A
    5  PARTY TO THE LITIGATION.
    6    (D) WHERE A CERTIFICATE IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION, A SINGLE
    7  CERTIFICATE SHALL BE FILED FOR  EACH  ACTION,  EVEN  IF  MORE  THAN  ONE
    8  DEFENDANT HAS BEEN NAMED IN THE COMPLAINT OR IS SUBSEQUENTLY NAMED.
    9    S  4.  The  civil  practice  law  and rules is amended by adding a new
   10  section 214-f to read as follows:
   11    S 214-F. ACTION BY  VICTIM  OF  CONDUCT  CONSTITUTING  CERTAIN  SEXUAL
   12  OFFENSES  AND  NOTICE  OF CLAIM AS CONDITION PRECEDENT. SECTIONS FIFTY-E
   13  AND FIFTY-I OF THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL LAW, SECTION  THIRTY-EIGHT  HUNDRED
   14  THIRTEEN OF THE EDUCATION LAW AND THE PROVISIONS OF ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL
   15  OR  LOCAL LAW OR CHARTER REQUIRING AS A CONDITION PRECEDENT TO COMMENCE-
   16  MENT OF AN ACTION OR SPECIAL PROCEEDING THAT A  NOTICE  OF  A  CLAIM  BE
   17  FILED  OR PRESENTED WITHIN A SPECIFIED PERIOD OF TIME AFTER THE CLAIM OR
   18  ACTION OR ACTION ACCRUED, SHALL NOT APPLY TO ANY CLAIM  MADE  FOR  PHYS-
   19  ICAL,  PSYCHOLOGICAL,  OR OTHER INJURY OR CONDITION SUFFERED AS A RESULT
   20  OF CONDUCT OF A DEFENDANT WHICH WOULD CONSTITUTE  A  SEXUAL  OFFENSE  AS
   21  DEFINED IN ARTICLE ONE HUNDRED THIRTY OF THE PENAL LAW COMMITTED AGAINST
   22  A  CHILD  LESS  THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE, INCEST AS DEFINED IN SECTION
   23  255.25, 255.26, OR 255.27 OF THE PENAL LAW  COMMITTED  AGAINST  A  CHILD
   24  LESS  THAN  EIGHTEEN  YEARS  OF  AGE,  OR THE USE OF A CHILD IN A SEXUAL
   25  PERFORMANCE AS DEFINED IN SECTION 263.05  OF  THE  PENAL  LAW  COMMITTED
   26  AGAINST A CHILD LESS THAN EIGHTEEN YEARS OF AGE.
   27    S 5. The provisions of this act shall be severable, and if any clause,
   28  sentence,  paragraph,  subdivision or part of this act shall be adjudged
   29  by any court of competent jurisdiction  to  be  invalid,  such  judgment
   30  shall not affect, impair, or invalidate the remainder thereof, but shall
   31  be  confined in its operation to the clause, sentence, paragraph, subdi-
   32  vision or part thereof directly involved in  the  controversy  in  which
   33  such judgment shall have been rendered.
   34    S 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
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