Hochul Signs Adult Survivors Act

NEW YORK — Adult survivors of sexual assault that occurred when they were over the age of 18 can now sue their abusers regardless o the statute of limitations.

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Adult Survivors Act Tuesday and said it was an important step in empowering survivors across New York to hold their abusers accountable.

"The fight against sexual assault requires us to recognize the impact of trauma within our justice system," she said.

"While our work is not done, eradicating sexual assault begins with our ability to bring the perpetrators of these heinous acts to justice and this legislation is a historic step forward," Hochul said.

In 2019, New York passed the Child Victims Act, which created a one-year look-back window for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file claims otherwise barred by the statute of limitations.

Similar to the Child Victims Act, the Adult Survivors Act will empower survivors of sexual offenses that happened when they were over the age of 18. The one-year window will begin six months from signing and will allow survivors to sue regardless of the statute of limitations. For many survivors, it may take years to come to terms with the trauma of sexual assault and feel ready to seek justice against an abuser, while possibly experiencing fear of retaliation or shame.

In 2019, the state extended the statute of limitations to 20 years for adults filing civil lawsuits for a select number of sex crimes. However, the legislation only affected new cases and was not retroactive.