Senate Bill S2695

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   2695
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                             I N  S E N A T E
 
                             January 22, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  Sens.  HOYLMAN-SIGAL, CLEARE, FERNANDEZ, KRUEGER, MYRIE,
   SALAZAR -- read twice and ordered printed,  and  when  printed  to  be
   committed to the Committee on Judiciary
 
 AN  ACT to amend the civil practice law and rules, in relation to admis-
   sibility of evidence of a victim's sexual conduct, sexual  predisposi-
   tion, or manner of dress
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. The civil practice law and rules is amended by adding a new
 section 4552 to read as follows:
   § 4552. ADMISSIBILITY OF EVIDENCE OF VICTIM'S SEXUAL  CONDUCT,  SEXUAL
 PREDISPOSITION,  OR MANNER OF DRESS. THE FOLLOWING EVIDENCE SHALL NOT BE
 DISCOVERABLE OR ADMISSIBLE IN A CIVIL ACTION OR PROCEEDING:
   (A) EVIDENCE OF THE  VICTIM'S  OR  ALLEGED  VICTIM'S  PREVIOUS  SEXUAL
 CONDUCT  OR SEXUAL PREDISPOSITION SHALL NOT BE DISCOVERABLE OR ADMITTED,
 NOR REFERENCE MADE TO IT IN THE PRESENCE OF A JURY, EXCEPT  AS  PROVIDED
 IN  THIS  SECTION.  WHEN  A  DEFENDANT  SEEKS  TO DISCOVER OR ADMIT SUCH
 EVIDENCE FOR ANY PURPOSE, THE DEFENDANT SHALL APPLY FOR AN ORDER OF  THE
 COURT.    AFTER THE MOTION IS MADE, THE COURT SHALL CONDUCT A HEARING IN
 CAMERA  TO  DETERMINE  THE  DISCOVERABILITY  OR  ADMISSIBILITY  OF  SUCH
 EVIDENCE.  UPON  THE  HEARING  AND DETERMINATION OF SUCH A MOTION, THERE
 SHALL BE A PRESUMPTION THAT ANY SUCH  REFERENCE  TO  A  VICTIM'S  SEXUAL
 CONDUCT,  SEXUAL PREDISPOSITION OR MANNER OF DRESS, IS BOTH INADMISSIBLE
 AS EVIDENCE AND NOT SUBJECT TO  DISCLOSURE.  IF  THE  COURT  FINDS  THAT
 EVIDENCE  OFFERED  BY THE DEFENDANT REGARDING THE SEXUAL CONDUCT, SEXUAL
 PREDISPOSITION, OR MANNER OF DRESS OF THE VICTIM OR  ALLEGED  VICTIM  IS
 RELEVANT AND THAT ITS PROBATIVE VALUE SUBSTANTIALLY OUTWEIGHS THE DANGER
 OF HARM, SHAME OR EMBARRASSMENT TO ANY VICTIM OR ALLEGED VICTIM; AND THE
 PROBATIVE VALUE OF THE EVIDENCE OFFERED IS NOT OUTWEIGHED BY ITS COLLAT-
 ERAL  NATURE  OR BY THE PROBABILITY THAT ITS ADMISSION WILL CREATE UNDUE
 PREJUDICE, CONFUSION OF THE  ISSUES,  OR  UNWARRANTED  INVASION  OF  THE
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD03384-01-5
              

 S. 2695                             2
 
 PRIVACY  OF  THE  VICTIM  OR  ALLEGED  VICTIM, OR LEAD TO HARM, SHAME OR
 EMBARRASSMENT ON THE PART OF THE VICTIM OR  ALLEGED  VICTIM;  THE  COURT
 SHALL ENTER AN ORDER SETTING FORTH WITH SPECIFICITY WHAT EVIDENCE MAY BE
 DISCOVERED  OR INTRODUCED AND THE NATURE OF THE QUESTIONS WHICH SHALL BE
 PERMITTED, AND THE REASONS WHY THE COURT FINDS THAT SUCH EVIDENCE SATIS-
 FIES THE STANDARDS CONTAINED IN THIS SECTION.  THE  DEFENDANT  MAY  THEN
 DISCOVER OR OFFER EVIDENCE UNDER THE ORDER OF THE COURT.
   (B)  UNLESS THE COURT ORDERS OTHERWISE, THE MOTION, RELATED MATERIALS,
 AND THE RECORD OF THE HEARING UNDER  SUBDIVISION  (A)  OF  THIS  SECTION
 SHALL BE AND REMAIN SEALED.
   (C)  EVIDENCE  OF  THE  VICTIM'S  OR  ALLEGED VICTIM'S PREVIOUS SEXUAL
 CONDUCT SHALL NOT BE DISCOVERABLE OR CONSIDERED RELEVANT  UNLESS  IT  IS
 MATERIAL  TO PROVING THAT THE SOURCE OF SEMEN, PREGNANCY OR DISEASE IS A
 PERSON OTHER THAN THE DEFENDANT OR  THE  ALLEGED  PERPETRATOR.  FOR  THE
 PURPOSES  OF  THIS  SECTION,  "SEXUAL CONDUCT" SHALL MEAN ANY CONDUCT OR
 BEHAVIOR RELATING TO SEXUAL ACTIVITIES OF THE VICTIM, INCLUDING BUT  NOT
 LIMITED  TO  PREVIOUS  OR SUBSEQUENT EXPERIENCE OF SEXUAL PENETRATION OR
 SEXUAL CONTACT, USE  OF  CONTRACEPTIVES,  LIVING  ARRANGEMENT  AND  LIFE
 STYLE.
   (D)  EVIDENCE  OF THE MANNER IN WHICH THE VICTIM OR ALLEGED VICTIM WAS
 DRESSED AT THE TIME OF THE COMMISSION OF  A  SEXUAL  OFFENSE  OR  SEXUAL
 MISCONDUCT  SHALL NOT BE ADMITTED, UNLESS SUCH EVIDENCE IS DETERMINED BY
 THE COURT TO BE RELEVANT AND ADMISSIBLE IN  THE  INTERESTS  OF  JUSTICE,
 AFTER  AN  OFFER  OF PROOF BY THE PROPONENT OF SUCH EVIDENCE OUTSIDE THE
 HEARING OF THE JURY, OR SUCH HEARING AS THE COURT  MAY  REQUIRE,  AND  A
 STATEMENT BY THE COURT OF ITS FINDINGS OF FACT ESSENTIAL TO ITS DETERMI-
 NATION.
   (E)  THE  COURT  MAY  ADMIT EVIDENCE OF A VICTIM'S OR ALLEGED VICTIM'S
 REPUTATION ONLY IF SUCH VICTIM  OR  ALLEGED  VICTIM  HAS  PLACED  IT  IN
 CONTROVERSY.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.