A separate route, not a variation on the others
This is a New York City law rather than a state one, and it creates its own civil cause of action for crimes of violence motivated by gender. That independence is the point: it can apply where other routes have run out, and it is assessed on its own terms.
It has been used in a number of prominent claims by survivors whose abuse fell outside the temporary state windows.
A revival window is currently open
As of 29 January 2026, this law has its own temporary lookback window, separate from the Adult Survivors Act and Child Victims Act windows described elsewhere on this site. It allows survivors of gender-motivated violence, including sexual abuse, that occurred on or before 9 January 2022 to bring a claim even if it would otherwise be time-barred, and it allows some claims filed between March 2023 and March 2025 that were dismissed on institutional-liability grounds to be refiled or amended. This window is scheduled to close around 29 July 2027. It does not extend the ordinary state deadlines described elsewhere on this site; it is a separate, time-limited opportunity under this City law specifically.
What it requires, in broad terms
- The conduct must amount to a crime of violence.
- It must have been motivated by gender, at least in part.
- There must be a sufficient connection to New York City.
Whether a particular set of facts meets those requirements is a legal assessment, not a
self-assessment. The second element in particular is not obvious from outside. It does not mean
the person said something explicit about gender.
Where it tends to matter
It is most often relevant where the abuse happened in New York City, where the survivor was an
adult at the time, and where the state windows have closed. That combination describes a lot of
people who assume, wrongly, that nothing is available to them.
Time limits in New York turn on how old you were, who was responsible and the particular facts. Two rules anchor most cases: someone abused as a child can generally bring a civil claim up to their 55th birthday, and certain felony sexual offences suffered as an adult carry a 20 year window. Neither is the whole picture, and people regularly assume they are out of time when they are not. Ask rather than assume, it is a free call.
Does this only apply in the five boroughs?
It is a New York City law and requires a connection to the City. Whether that connection exists is fact-specific and worth checking rather than assuming.
Can I use this if the Adult Survivors Act window closed?
Often, yes. This is a separate law from the Adult Survivors Act, with its own current lookback window running through around 29 July 2027 for gender-motivated violence, including sexual abuse, that occurred on or before 9 January 2022. Missing the ASA window does not rule this out.
Does ‘gender-motivated’ mean they said something about my gender?
No. It is a legal test rather than a question of what was said out loud, and it is assessed on the whole circumstances.