NOW-NYC's 2010 Legislative Agenda
Divorce Reform to Help WomenInterim Maintenance (Post-Marital Income) (A10984/S8390) SIGNED INTO LAW! Read more One of the biggest "wild cards" in getting divorced in New York State is how a judge will award maintenance (formerly known as alimony) for the less-monied spouse, which is most often the woman. NOW-NYC, along with a coalition of organizations, is working to change this paradigm once again by redefining maintenance as "post-marital income" and to establish a system that will ensure fair, transparent, and consistent outcomes for women going through divorce. Assembly Member Amy Paulin and State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson have introduced bills that would ensure that there is consistency and predictability to maintenance calculations within divorce proceedings. "Counsel Fee and Expert Fee" Bill (A7569A/S4532A) SIGNED INTO LAW! Read more In divorce proceedings, the party with the most financial resources usually comes out on top. In an effort to ensure that there is an even playing field between spouses when there is a significant disparity in available resources, State Senator John Sampson and Assembly Member Helene Weinstein have introduced bills that would require the monied party to provide for the legal fees of the non-monied party. The bill introduced would help to alleviate the serious disadvantages faced by those pursuing divorce while lacking the necessary financial resources. Take Action! Contact Governor Patterson in support of equal resources in divorce proceedings! Executive Director Sonia Ossorio's Letter to Governor Paterson NOW-NYC New York Times Letter to the Editor NOW-NYC Service Fund's Testimony to the NYS Senate Judiciary Committee
NY Post-Marital Income Coalition
NOW-NYC & the Service Fund Letter of Support ................................................................................................................................. Anti-Strangulation Bill (A-10161/S-6987)SIGNED INTO LAW! Read More Incredibly, in New York, choking or strangling someone by compressing her neck is not considered an assault unless the victim evidences physical injury, which is not found in the many typical strangulation cases where no injury is visible. Domestic violence advocates see first-hand how often choking is used by batterers and, in turn, how often they are not charged with a crime. NOW-NYC has been working on this bill with Senator Eric Schneiderman, who has introduced legislation in the state senate to increase penalties against abusers. Read our Op-Ed, "New York's Choking Loophole," in The New York Times | Take Action ................................................................................................................................. Reproductive Health Act (S05808/A11484)Update: As of July 2010 at the end of the legislative session, this bill has not been brought to vote. New York State law to protect women's legal access to abortion, regardless of what happens to Roe. The act will: (1) Establish in New York State law that women have an affirmative right to control their reproductive health, (2)Ensure a woman's access to abortion in the case that her health is endangered or if the fetus has a fatal medical condition, (3) Guarantee the right to use or refuse contraception, and (4) Update New York's laws so that abortion is regulated as a matter of public health instead of an exception in our criminal code. State legislatures across the country have passed more than 400 bills that would ban or restrict abortion, and adequate and fair health insurance coverage for abortion was sacrificed at the bargaining table to pass larger national health-care reform. Now is the time for New York State to ensure that our abortion laws are ironclad. Senator Andrea Stewart- Cousins has introduced the Reproductive Health Act in the State Senate and Assemblywoman Deborah Glick in the State Assembly. Learn more | Take Action! Get in touch with your State Senator and State Assembly Member tell them why choice matters to you, and ask them to support the bill. If they've already signed on, thank them for their support. ................................................................................................................................. Jessica Tush Act (A10206/S7131)Update: As of July 2010 at the end of the legislative session, this bill has been referred to the education committees in both the Assembly and Senate. In a sobering reality, young women ages 16-24 experience the greatest incidence of domestic violence and sexual assault nationwide. In New York City, 1 in 10 teenagers have experienced sexual or physical assault in a dating relationship in the previous year. In an effort to identify and prevent violent youth relationships, the New York State Senate and Assembly have introduced a violence prevention education bill. The Act was introduced into the Senate by Senator Diane Savino and in the Assembly by Assembly Member Michael Cusick. Take Action and let your State Senator and Assembly Member know that you support Anti-Violence Education in New York.
................................................................................................................................. Fair Pay Act (A03911/S955)Update: As of July 2010 at the end of the legislative session, this bill has not been brought to vote in the Senate. PASSES IN NYS ASSEMBLY! The Fair Pay Act will put real reforms into place to close the wage gap for women here in New York State. NOW-NYC and fair pay advocates have long supported this legislation, which has passed in the Assembly every year since 2002, but has never made it to a vote in the Senate. The bill would help put a stop to undervaluing sectors dominated by women: it would ensure equal pay for equal and comparable work and protect workers from retaliation when seeking salary information. The bill is sponsored in the Assembly by Assembly Member Susan John and in the Senate by Senator Craig Johnson.
Take action! Reach out to your own State Senator, and ask them to vote yes on the Fair Pay Act.
Read NOW-NYC's Equal Pay Day Press Release | Learn more about equal pay
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Holding Landlords Accountable for Safety (A8644A/S7673)Update: As of July 2010 at the end of the legislative session, this bill has been defeated in the Judiciary Committee in the Assembly and has not been brought to vote in the Senate. This bill would increase the liability for landlords in cases where a tenant is a crime victim on their property or in their home. The legislation would require that landlords provide reasonable security in compliance with current law, such as providing working front door locks. If landlords fail to comply with the law even though they are aware prior criminal activity in and around their buildings, they may be held accountable if their tenant is harmed by a criminal who gains access because of their negligence. The bill is sponsored by Amy Paulin in the Assembly and Jose Peralta in the State Senate.
NOW-NYC & the Service Fund Letter of Support
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Expanding Rights for LGBT New Yorkers (A2563/S6177A)PASSED IN BOTH SENATE AND ASSEMBLY! Ensures that family leave rights established by employers to attend the funeral of a family member includes same-sex partners. This bill is a no-brainer. Until New York State is able to pass an equal marriage bill, NOW-NYC will continue to support legislation that fights the unfair discrmination that LGBT New Yorkers face. ................................................................................................................................. Abandoned Infant Protection Act (A11111)PASSED IN BOTH SENATE AND ASSEMBLY! Increases the age of the infant who can be safely surrendered from 5 days and younger to 30 days and younger. In addition, the bill eliminates criminal liability for individuals leaving newborns 30 days and younger at safe havens. Research shows that many women who abandon their babies are young, single and in denial about their pregnancies. Raising the age of the infant will provide the birth parents more time to evaluate their circumstances and to make a considered decision whether or not to abandon the newborn under the circumstances. NOW-NYC & the Service Fund Letter of Support
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