Governor Kathy Hochul signed three bills into law on Monday, October 26, and Tuesday, October 27, according to the State Assembly’s bill records, during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, to strengthen privacy and safety protections for survivors of violence and exploitation across New York. The laws let people whose intimate images were shared without their consent shield their home addresses, create civil penalties for hotels and motels that fail to post information about services for human trafficking victims, and require the state to warn domestic violence survivors before the confidentiality on their voter registration records expires.

The first law, S.5041/A.6338, lets people whose intimate photos or videos have been illegally and nonconsensually shared join New York State’s Address Confidentiality Program. The program gives people who have moved for safety reasons a substitute mailing address so their real home address stays private on court papers, government records, driver’s licenses and applications for services such as unemployment insurance and public assistance. The law was sponsored by State Senator Luis Sepúlveda and Assemblymember Latrice Walker.

“This legislation is an important step toward ensuring that victims of revenge porn and the unlawful dissemination of their intimate images have access to the protections and support they deserve,” Sepúlveda said. “No one should have to choose between seeking justice and protecting their personal safety and privacy.” Walker said her bill “allows people who find themselves in Family Court to participate in New York State’s Address Confidentiality Program,” keeping their new home addresses private to “help to prevent further abuse or victimization.”