Last month, we travelled to Albany with several other survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual exploitation and trafficking crimes. Together, we provided the first public testimony of Epstein victims before any legislative body in the United States.

We described, in our own words, the abuse we endured and the ways in which our laws and systems let us down at every turn. We weren’t speaking only for ourselves — we spoke for every victim who could not be in that room with us, and who have not been able to publicly share their stories with lawmakers in a position to make real change. We were a voice for those who remain silent because they believe the justice system hasn’t worked for them.

Our timing was not coincidental. Right now, New York is considering a bill that would, for the first time, allow victims like us to sue Epstein’s once-vast estate and those who benefited from his abuse for the harm they caused. New York now has a unique opportunity to lead the nation by enacting meaningful reforms that would expand avenues of justice for survivors and hold traffickers and their enablers accountable.

Time is of the essence. Epstein shrewdly tried to structure his fortune so it would be difficult for victims or the authorities to access after his death. If his estate continues to dwindle to zero, it would mean that survivors like me would be entitled to nothing. That is why the Legislature must act now and pass the Trafficking Survivor Recovery and Accountability Act.

The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Zellnor Myrie and Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, would make it easier to prosecute the enablers who facilitated Epstein’s crimes but have not faced accountability for their actions. It strengthens penalties for those who profit from these horrific abuses. It also extends protections to victims of labor trafficking who are exploited by powerful criminals like Epstein.