Provides that being eighteen years old or more, while in the course of committing rape in the first, second or third degree, criminal sexual act in the first, second or third degree, sexual abuse in the first degree, aggravated sexual abuse in the first, second, third or fourth degree, or incest in the first, second or third degree, against a person less than eighteen years old, such defendant intentionally causes the death of such person.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1933
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 14, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sens. WEBER, GALLIVAN, HELMING, MARTINS, MATTERA, MURRAY,
ORTT, PALUMBO, RHOADS, ROLISON -- read twice and ordered printed, and
when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to enacting "Paula's law"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as
2 "Paula's law".
3 § 2. Legislative intent. This act is an expansion of "Joan's Law",
4 enacted in 2004, which denies parole in these circumstances for child
5 victims under the age of fourteen. This act expands upon "Joan's Law" by
6 including child victims under the age of eighteen.
7 § 3. Subdivision 5 of section 125.25 of the penal law, as amended by
8 chapter 23 of the laws of 2024, is amended to read as follows:
9 5. Being eighteen years old or more, while in the course of committing
10 rape in the first, second or third degree, a crime formerly defined in
11 section 130.50, 130.45 or 130.40 of this title, the crime of sexual
12 abuse in the first degree, aggravated sexual abuse in the first, second,
13 third or fourth degree, or incest in the first, second or third degree,
14 against a person less than [fourteen] eighteen years old, [he or she]
15 such defendant intentionally causes the death of such person.
16 § 4. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
17 ing the date on which it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03456-01-5
