New York legislation · 2025-2026 General Assembly
New York S8609: Enacts the "victims protection and child sex buyer accountability act"
Status: Passed both chambers, June 5, 2026
Enacts the "victims protection and child sex buyer accountability act" relating to increasing the age of victims of the patronizing, promoting, and compelling of prostitution.
What the bill says
An act to amend the penal law, in relation to enacting the "victims protection and child sex buyer accountability act".
From the amended text, February 25, 2026:
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to enacting the "victims protection and child sex buyer accountability act" THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: Section 1. Short title. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "victims protection and child sex buyer accountability act". § 2. The first undesignated paragraph of section 230.05 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 368 of the laws of 2015, is amended to read as follows: A person is guilty of patronizing a person for prostitution in the second degree when, being eighteen years old or more, [he or she] SUCH PERSON patronizes a person for prostitution and the person patronized is less than [fifteen] EIGHTEEN years old. § 3. Subdivisions 1 and 2 of section 230.06 of the penal law, as amended by chapter 368 of the laws of 2015, are amended to read as follows: 1. [He or she] SUCH PERSON patronizes a person for prostitution and the person patronized is less than eleven years old; or 2. Being eighteen years old or more, [he or she] SUCH PERSON patronizes a person for prostitution and the person patronized is less than [thirteen] FIFTEEN years old. § 4. The first undesignated paragraph of section 230.11 of …
Sponsors
- Zellnor Myrie (D, 20) · primary sponsor
- Michelle Hinchey (D, 41)
- Steven Rhoads (R, 5)
- Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (D, 23)
Latest actions
- : RETURNED TO SENATE
- : PASSED ASSEMBLY
- : ORDERED TO THIRD READING RULES CAL.574
- : SUBSTITUTED FOR A9214A
- : REFERRED TO CODES
- : DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
- : PASSED SENATE
- : AMENDED ON THIRD READING 8609A
- : ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
- : 2ND REPORT CAL.
Votes
- FLOOR Vote (June 4, 2026): 60 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Senate Codes Committee: COMMITTEE Vote (January 28, 2026): 13 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Senate Codes Committee (January 28, 2026): 13 yea, 0 nay, passed
Subjects: Penal Law
Common questions
- What is S8609?
- S8609 is a bill in the New York Legislature (2025-2026 General Assembly): Enacts the "victims protection and child sex buyer accountability act".
- What does S8609 do?
- In its own words: An act to amend the penal law, in relation to enacting the "victims protection and child sex buyer accountability act".
- What is the status of S8609?
- Passed both chambers as of June 5, 2026. Latest action: RETURNED TO SENATE (June 5, 2026).
- Who sponsored S8609?
- Zellnor Myrie (D, 20), with 3 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for S8609?
- On the New York Legislature website: https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S8609
Source: official New York record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.