25 signatures reached
To: New York State Governor, Senate & Assembly
Require Members of the Clergy in NY State to Be Mandated Reporters (of Child abuse)
The NY State Senate needs to approve Senate Bill 2023- S3158. The Assembly approved its version of this legislation, however, since January, 2023, it has been sitting in the Senate Children’s and Family's Committee. The Bill will enact the Child Abuse Reporting Expansion Act, also known as The CARE ACT, which will require clergy members to be reporters of child abuse or mistreatment.
We must contact our NY State Senators and the Governor and ask them to expedite/move this bill forward and sign it into law so that children, and adults, in NY State will be better protected from sexual predators.
The NY Senate must accomplish this as soon as they reconvene in Albany, in January 2025, and have Governor Hochul sign it. The passage of this bill will be the last step that will help reduce sexual abuses by the clergy in NY State.
We must contact our NY State Senators and the Governor and ask them to expedite/move this bill forward and sign it into law so that children, and adults, in NY State will be better protected from sexual predators.
The NY Senate must accomplish this as soon as they reconvene in Albany, in January 2025, and have Governor Hochul sign it. The passage of this bill will be the last step that will help reduce sexual abuses by the clergy in NY State.
Why is this important?
Thousands of children in our State, have been sexually abused by Christian clergy every year. And although 28 states already mandate clergy to report any form of child maltreatment, New York state has yet to approve such an important measure. As of now, if a member of the clergy in our State suspects that a child in the congregation has been abused, that clergyperson isn't legally required to report it!
This is morally and legally unacceptable because sexual abuse at the hands of clergy is still a persistent problem in our state and throughout the western world. Hence, it must be addressed quickly for the safety of our children and all vulnerable adults in NY state.
Therefore, we must not delay, do our part and support this important legislation. We can do so by doing the following. I already did it and it's quite easy!
It is therefore important to advocate for moving the bill out of committee; to do so contact the Chair of the Committee on Children and Families, Senator Jabari Brisport, tel. (718) 643-6140. Email: [email protected]
As the Chairman, Senator Brisport has full autonomy regarding when a bill would be taken up by his or her committee and subsequently brought to the floor for a vote. However, the committee is not likely to meet until the start of the next Legislative Session in January, and this legislation will have a different bill number
So I urge Senator Brisport and all NY State senators to support Bill S3158, approve it asap, and send it to the Governor for her signature- as soon as the State Legislature reconvenes this January. I also urge all adult NY State residents to contact their State Senators and Governor Hochul and tell her to pass this significant legislation.
If you don’t know who your state senator is, just Google: “Find my state senator”, enter your address and zip code, and send him/her the message below:
Please approve Senate Bill 2023-S3158, the CARE ACT, which requires that all NY State clergy be mandated reporters so that children and all vulnerable adults are better protected from clergy sexual predators.
To write the Governor, Google: contact NY State Governor
We must do all we can to support and help pass this bill for the safety of innocent persons and children.
If you don't know who your senator is, find out at: https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator
SOURCES
1) Senate Bill 2023-S3158, visit: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S3158
2) . Pope leads top cardinals in atoning for a host of sins ahead of a new phase of reform effort. AP News. October 1, 2024.
If you don't know who your senator is, find out at: https://www.nysenate.gov/find-my-senator
SOURCES
1) Senate Bill 2023-S3158, visit: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2023/S3158
2) . Pope leads top cardinals in atoning for a host of sins ahead of a new phase of reform effort. AP News. October 1, 2024.
3) In Belgium, pope apologizes for clergy abuse; prime minister says words alone are insufficient. National Catholic Reporter. 27 Sept 2024.
https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/belgium-pope-apologizes-clergy-abuse-prime-minister-says-words-alone-are
4) Debate over clergy exemption pits sanctity of confession against child safety |National Catholic Reporter. 3 Apr 2023. https://www.ncronline.org/news/debate-over-clergy-exemption-pits-sanctity-confession-against-child-safety#:~:text=%22Protecting%20the%20child,as%20a%20priest.
5) Expanding Clergy Sexual Abuse Probe Targets New Orleans Catholic Church Leaders. Associated Press. May 1, 2024 https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2024-05-01/expanding-clergy-sexual-abuse-probe-targets-new-orleans-catholic-church-leaders#:~:text=Home-,Expanding%20Clergy%20Sexual%20Abuse%20Probe%20Targets%20New%20Orleans%20Catholic%20Church%20Leaders,Comment,-More
6) The Catholic Church and Sexual Abuse, Then and Now", Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective. March 2019 https://origins.osu.edu/article/catholic-church-sexual-abuse-pope-confession-priests-nuns.
4) Debate over clergy exemption pits sanctity of confession against child safety |National Catholic Reporter. 3 Apr 2023. https://www.ncronline.org/news/debate-over-clergy-exemption-pits-sanctity-confession-against-child-safety#:~:text=%22Protecting%20the%20child,as%20a%20priest.
5) Expanding Clergy Sexual Abuse Probe Targets New Orleans Catholic Church Leaders. Associated Press. May 1, 2024 https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2024-05-01/expanding-clergy-sexual-abuse-probe-targets-new-orleans-catholic-church-leaders#:~:text=Home-,Expanding%20Clergy%20Sexual%20Abuse%20Probe%20Targets%20New%20Orleans%20Catholic%20Church%20Leaders,Comment,-More
6) The Catholic Church and Sexual Abuse, Then and Now", Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective. March 2019 https://origins.osu.edu/article/catholic-church-sexual-abuse-pope-confession-priests-nuns.
How it will be delivered
Via regular mail, emails, and online. For more info. contact the author of this petition,
Ottavio Lo Piccolo, email: [email protected]
or by cellular, call or text him at 518-421-6807
Petition started 11 February 2024.
Last updated 8=16-24