Scarsdale – Assemblywoman Amy Paulin (D-88) is proud to announce that five bills she authored were signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo on Saturday.

“I am pleased that the Governor recognized the importance of enacting these bills into law, Paulin said. "Several of these will enhance our efforts to protect our most vulnerable -- children and the sexually exploited.”

Here’s a brief look at the legislation Governor Cuomo signed into law.

A134/S3483 – This bill authorizes the Department of Health (DOH) to undertake a public-awareness campaign regarding the physical, sexual and psychological consequences of undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM), including the practice of “vacation cutting,” in which girls are sent out of state or the country, typically during a school vacation, to undergo FGM. FGM consists of procedures performed on the female genitalia without a medical purpose, such as clitoridectomy, the removal of part or all of the clitoris, and infibulation, in which all of the outer genitalia are removed and the vagina is sealed, often with stitches, except for a small opening. Andrew Lanza (R-24) sponsored the bill in the Senate.

A86/S3486 – This legislation provides for DOH to educate the public regarding the availability of counseling programs, education programs and advocacy services which are provided at no cost by governmental agencies and not-for-profit organizations for victims of sexual offenses and victims of child pornography and possession. Lanza sponsored the bill in the Senate.

A2469/S4394-A – This bill requires courts to waive mandatory surcharges and fees, including the DNA databank fee, where a defendant is convicted of prostitution, loitering for prostitution or a violation where the conviction is in lieu of a plea to or conviction for prostitution or loitering for prostitution, or when the court finds the defendant is a sex trafficking victim. By waiving these surcharges and fees, we remove the means by which our legal system inadvertently sends sex trafficking victims back into the hands of their traffickers who are eager to pay the fees so that the victims are further indebted to them and forced to return to the streets. Lanza sponsored the bill in the Senate.

A5897/S5286 – This bill closes significant procedural gaps in the framework governing juvenile delinquency (JD) and persons in need of supervision (PINS) cases with respect to violations of court orders. By eliminating the gaps, we will better protect the due process rights of youth at risk who are involved in the court system so that we do not impose procedural barriers that will hinder compliance with their court orders. Patrick Gallivan (R-59) sponsored the bill in the Senate.

A81-B/S440-B – This bill permits wine and liquor retailers to extend store credit to businesses and corporations. Under the previous law, retailers were allowed to accept credit cards but were not allowed to deliver the product and send an invoice for payment, which was often problematic for larger corporate customers. Gallivan sponsored the bill in the Senate.