Senate Bill S54

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Prohibits the use of intoxication of the victim as a defense in sex crimes

download bill text pdf

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Archive: Last Bill Status - In Senate Committee Codes Committee

  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2025-S54 (ACTIVE) - Details

Current Committee:
Senate Codes
Law Section:
Penal Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §130.05, Pen L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2019-2020: S6679
2021-2022: S452
2023-2024: S4555

2025-S54 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Prohibits the use of intoxication of the victim as a defense in sex crimes where the victim is under the influence of any drug, intoxicant, or other substance to a degree which rendered the victim temporarily incapable of appraising or controlling such person's conduct and such condition was known or reasonably should have been known to a person in the actor's situation.

2025-S54 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                    54
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                                (PREFILED)
 
                              January 8, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced by Sens. FERNANDEZ, ADDABBO, BORRELLO, GOUNARDES, HOYLMAN-SI-
   GAL,  KRUEGER,  MARTINS,  PALUMBO,  RAMOS, RHOADS, ROLISON, SEPULVEDA,
   WEBB, WEBER -- 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 prohibiting the use of the
   intoxication  of  a  victim  as a defense to a criminal charge for sex
   crimes
 
   THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section  1.  Paragraph  (d)  of subdivision 2 of section 130.05 of the
 penal law, as amended by chapter 23 of the laws of 2024, is amended  and
 a new paragraph (e) is added to read as follows:
   (d)  Where  the  offense  charged  is  SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AS DEFINED IN
 SUBDIVISIONS ONE, TWO AND THREE OF SECTION 130.20,  rape  in  the  third
 degree as defined in subdivision seven, eight or nine of section 130.25,
 or  a  crime  formerly defined in subdivision three of section 130.40 OF
 THIS ARTICLE, in addition to forcible  compulsion,  circumstances  under
 which,  at  the  time  of the act of vaginal sexual contact, oral sexual
 contact or anal sexual contact, the victim clearly expressed that [he or
 she] SUCH VICTIM did not consent to engage in such act, and a reasonable
 person in the actor's situation  would  have  understood  such  person's
 words and acts as an expression of lack of consent to such act under all
 the circumstances[.]; OR
   (E)  WHERE  THE  OFFENSE  CHARGED  IS  SEXUAL MISCONDUCT AS DEFINED IN
 SUBDIVISIONS ONE, TWO AND THREE OF SECTION 130.20,  RAPE  IN  THE  THIRD
 DEGREE AS DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION SEVEN, EIGHT OR NINE OF SECTION 130.25,
 OR  A  CRIME  FORMERLY DEFINED IN SUBDIVISION THREE OF SECTION 130.40 OF
 THIS ARTICLE, IN ADDITION TO FORCIBLE  COMPULSION,  CIRCUMSTANCES  UNDER
 WHICH,  AT  THE  TIME OF THE ACT OF  VAGINAL SEXUAL CONTACT, ORAL SEXUAL
 CONTACT OR ANAL SEXUAL CONTACT, THE VICTIM WAS UNDER  THE  INFLUENCE  OF
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.

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