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A01121 Summary:

BILL NOA01121C
 
SAME ASSAME AS S07211-B
 
SPONSORButtenschon
 
COSPNSRJackson, Fall, Gunther, Abinanti, Sillitti, Jones, Jacobson, Conrad, Griffin, Cusick, Galef, Dinowitz, Santabarbara, Simon, Fahy
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Add §§250.70, 250.71 & 250.72, Pen L; add §52-d, Civ Rts L
 
Creates certain offenses and provisions related to the unlawful dissemination of a personal image; creates a private right of action for such offenses.
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A01121 Actions:

BILL NOA01121C
 
01/07/2021referred to codes
06/04/2021amend and recommit to codes
06/04/2021print number 1121a
06/07/2021reported referred to rules
06/08/2021reported
06/08/2021rules report cal.527
06/08/2021ordered to third reading rules cal.527
06/09/2021passed assembly
06/09/2021delivered to senate
06/09/2021REFERRED TO RULES
01/05/2022DIED IN SENATE
01/05/2022RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY
01/05/2022ordered to third reading cal.62
01/11/2022amended on third reading 1121b
01/18/2022passed assembly
01/18/2022delivered to senate
01/18/2022REFERRED TO CODES
05/11/2022recalled from senate
05/11/2022RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY
05/11/2022vote reconsidered - restored to third reading
05/11/2022amended on third reading 1121c
05/31/2022substituted by s7211b
 S07211 AMEND=B SAVINO
 06/07/2021REFERRED TO RULES
 01/05/2022REFERRED TO CODES
 01/14/2022AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO CODES
 01/14/2022PRINT NUMBER 7211A
 05/12/2022AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO CODES
 05/12/2022PRINT NUMBER 7211B
 05/24/2022COMMITTEE DISCHARGED AND COMMITTED TO RULES
 05/24/2022ORDERED TO THIRD READING CAL.1509
 05/24/2022PASSED SENATE
 05/24/2022DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
 05/24/2022referred to codes
 05/31/2022substituted for a1121c
 05/31/2022ordered to third reading cal.62
 05/31/2022passed assembly
 05/31/2022returned to senate
 12/16/2022DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR
 12/28/2022SIGNED CHAP.805
 12/28/2022APPROVAL MEMO.88
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A01121 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                         1121--C
                                                                 Cal. No. 62
 
                               2021-2022 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                     January 7, 2021
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  BUTTENSCHON,  GALEF, JACKSON, FALL, GUNTHER,
          ABINANTI, SILLITTI, JONES, JACOBSON, CONRAD, GRIFFIN -- read once  and
          referred  to  the  Committee  on  Codes  -- committee discharged, bill
          amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said  commit-
          tee  --  ordered  to  a  third reading, amended and ordered reprinted,
          retaining its place on the order of third reading -- passed by  Assem-
          bly and delivered to the Senate, recalled from the Senate, vote recon-
          sidered,  bill  amended, ordered reprinted, retaining its place on the
          order of third reading
 
        AN ACT to amend the penal law,  in  relation  to  creating  the  certain
          offenses  and  provisions  related  to the unlawful dissemination of a
          personal image; and to amend the civil  rights  law,  in  relation  to
          creating a private right of action for such offenses
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
 
     1    Section 1. This act shall be known and may be  cited  as  "Bianca  and
     2  Caroline's Law".
     3    §  2.  The  penal  law is amended by adding three new sections 250.70,
     4  250.71, and 250.72 to read as follows:
     5  § 250.70 Unlawful dissemination of a personal image; definitions, appli-
     6             cation.
     7    1. The following definitions shall apply to sections 250.71 and 250.72
     8  of this article:
     9    (a) "broadcast" means electronically transmitting a visual image  with
    10  the intent that it be viewed by a person;
    11    (b)  "disseminate"  means to give, provide, lend, deliver, mail, send,
    12  forward, transfer or transmit, electronically or  otherwise  to  another
    13  person;
    14    (c)  "publish"  means to: (i) disseminate, as defined in paragraph (b)
    15  of this subdivision, with the  intent  that  such  image  or  images  be
    16  disseminated  to  ten  or more persons; (ii) disseminate with the intent
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02249-07-2

        A. 1121--C                          2
 
     1  that such images  be  sold  by  another  person;  (iii)  post,  present,
     2  display,  exhibit, circulate, advertise or allows access, electronically
     3  or otherwise, so as to make an image or images available to the  public;
     4  or  (iv)  disseminate with the intent that an image or images be posted,
     5  presented, displayed, exhibited, circulated, advertised or made accessi-
     6  ble, electronically or otherwise and to make such image or images avail-
     7  able to the public.
     8    2. The following provisions shall apply to sections 250.71 and  250.72
     9  of this article:
    10    (a) The provisions of these sections shall not apply to the following:
    11    (i) the reporting of unlawful conduct;
    12    (ii)  the  dissemination or publication of an image made during lawful
    13  and common practices of law enforcement, legal  proceedings  or  medical
    14  treatment;
    15    (iii) images involving activities in a public setting or activities in
    16  a commercial setting in which legal activities are being conducted; or
    17    (iv)  the  dissemination or publication of an image made for a legiti-
    18  mate public purpose.
    19    (b) Nothing in these sections shall  be  construed  to  limit,  or  to
    20  enlarge,  the protections that 47 U.S.C. § 230 confers on an interactive
    21  computer service for content provided  by  another  information  content
    22  provider, as such terms are defined in 47 U.S.C. § 230.
    23    3.  With  respect  to  sections 250.71 and 250.72 of this article, the
    24  provisions of subdivision two of section 235.15 and subdivisions one and
    25  two of section 235.24 of this part shall apply.
    26  § 250.71 Unlawful dissemination  of  a  personal  image  in  the  second
    27             degree.
    28    A  person  is  guilty of unlawful dissemination of a personal image in
    29  the second degree when, with the intent of degrading or abusing a person
    30  who has been the victim of a crime described in title H of this part, or
    31  otherwise causing harm to the emotional, financial or  physical  welfare
    32  of such victim or such victim's family, or for the actor's own or anoth-
    33  er person's amusement, entertainment or profit, the actor intentionally:
    34    1. (a) creates and disseminates or publishes a still or video image of
    35  such  victim,  without  the victim's consent, in a manner that has no or
    36  minimal cultural or social value; and
    37    (b) the victim is identifiable from the still or video image itself or
    38  from information displayed in connection with the still or video  image;
    39  and
    40    (c)  the  image depicts the commission of the crime against the victim
    41  or physical injury suffered by the victim as a result of the  commission
    42  of the crime; or
    43    2.  acting  as an agent of the actor who created an image in violation
    44  of subdivision one of this section, he or she knowingly disseminates  or
    45  publishes such image.
    46    Unlawful  dissemination  of a personal image in the second degree is a
    47  class B misdemeanor.
    48  § 250.72 Unlawful dissemination of a personal image in the first degree.
    49    A person is guilty of unlawful dissemination of a  personal  image  in
    50  the  first degree when he or she commits the offense of unlawful dissem-
    51  ination of a personal image in the second degree and:
    52    1. he  or  she  committed,  participated  in  the  commission  of,  or
    53  conspired  to  commit  the  crime  that  resulted in such injury to such
    54  victim; or
    55    2. the victim suffered serious  physical  injury  or  death  which  is
    56  depicted in the unlawfully disseminated image.

        A. 1121--C                          3
 
     1    Unlawful  dissemination  of  a personal image in the first degree is a
     2  class A misdemeanor.
     3    §  3.  The civil rights law is amended by adding a new section 52-d to
     4  read as follows:
     5    § 52-d. Private right of action for unlawful dissemination or publica-
     6  tion of a personal image. 1. Any crime victim depicted  in  a  still  or
     7  video  image  which  was  unlawfully disseminated as provided in section
     8  250.71 or 250.72 of the penal law shall have a cause of  action  against
     9  such  individual who disseminated or published such still or video image
    10  without the consent of the person depicted in the image.
    11    2. In any  action  commenced  pursuant  to  subdivision  one  of  this
    12  section,  the  finder  of  fact, in its discretion, may award injunctive
    13  relief, punitive damages,  compensatory  damages  and  reasonable  court
    14  costs and attorneys' fees.
    15    3. This section shall not apply to the following:
    16    a. the reporting of unlawful conduct;
    17    b.  the  dissemination  or  publication  of  an  image made during law
    18  enforcement activities, legal proceedings or medical treatment;
    19    c. images involving activities in a public setting or activities in  a
    20  commercial setting in which legal activities are being conducted; or
    21    d.  the dissemination or publication of an image made for a legitimate
    22  public purpose.
    23    4. Any such crime victim depicted in a still or video image which  was
    24  unlawfully  disseminated  as provided in section 250.71 or 250.72 of the
    25  penal law, or such person's estate, may maintain an  action  or  special
    26  proceeding  for  a court order to require any website that is subject to
    27  personal jurisdiction under subdivision five of this section  to  perma-
    28  nently  remove  such  still or video image; any such court order granted
    29  pursuant to this subdivision may direct removal only as to  images  that
    30  are reasonably within such website's control.
    31    5.  Any  website that hosts or transmits a still or video image, view-
    32  able in this state, which was unlawfully  disseminated  as  provided  in
    33  section  250.71  or 250.72 of the penal law and which image is hosted or
    34  transmitted without the consent of the person  depicted  in  the  image,
    35  shall  be  subject  to  personal  jurisdiction in a civil action in this
    36  state to the maximum extent permitted under the United States  constitu-
    37  tion and federal law.
    38    6. A cause of action or special proceeding under this section shall be
    39  commenced the later of either:
    40    a.  three  years after the dissemination or publication of such image;
    41  or
    42    b. one year from the date the plaintiff or petitioners discovered,  or
    43  reasonably  should have discovered, such dissemination or publication of
    44  such image.
    45    7. Nothing in this section shall be read to require a  prior  criminal
    46  complaint,  prosecution  or  conviction to establish the elements of the
    47  cause of action provided for by this section.
    48    8. The provisions of this section are in addition to,  but  shall  not
    49  supersede, any other rights or remedies available in law or equity.
    50    9.  If  any provision of this section or its application to any person
    51  or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity shall not  affect  other
    52  provisions  or  applications  of  this section which can be given effect
    53  without the invalid provision  or  application,  and  to  this  end  the
    54  provisions of this section are severable.
    55    10.  Nothing  in  this  section  shall  be  construed  to limit, or to
    56  enlarge, the protections that 47 U.S.C. § 230 confers on an  interactive

        A. 1121--C                          4
 
     1  computer  service  for  content  provided by another information content
     2  provider, as such terms are defined in 47 U.S.C. § 230.
     3    §  4.  This  act  shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
     4  have become a law.
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