Governor Hochul Issues Proclamation Declaring April Sexual Assault Awareness Month
ALBANY, NY- Governor Kathy Hochul is recognizing the month of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month in New York, issuing a statewide proclamation.
This comes as the Governor made combatting sexual violence a top priority in her FY26 Budget, pushing to double funding for rape crisis programs and proposing a mandate that all hospitals provide access to trained sexual assault forensic medical examiners for victims and survivors.
“Sexual violence is an issue that affects countless individuals and families across the State, and my Administration is dedicated to strengthening resources for survivors and expanding protections to keep New Yorkers safe,” Governor Hochul said.
“By recognizing April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting survivors, holding perpetrators accountable, and preventing future harm, while ensuring that every New Yorker has access to the care and justice they deserve.”
The Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (OPDV) is also launching new initiatives to raise awareness about technology facilitated abuse and assault.
This, according to the Governor's office, is aimed to build on Hochul’s ongoing efforts to protect kids online and increase online safety for all New Yorkers, including through her Budget proposals to outlaw AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Material and require AI Companion companies to implement safety features to protect against self-harm.
As part of her ongoing efforts in protecting people and especially children online, this year Governor Hochul proposed updating the penal law to treat AI-generated child sexual abuse material as child pornography.
Existing laws address traditional child pornography, but the emergence of easily accessible “undressing” apps and the misuse of generative AI highlight the need to strengthen and modernize these laws.
Governor Hochul has also proposed legislation to require AI companionship companies to implement safety features to protect against self-harm and to remind users they are interacting with machines rather than humans.
These steps aim to reduce risks and ensure safer interactions with AI companions, which are part of a rapidly developing and largely unregulated market where chatbots are designed to simulate human connection, remember personal details, and adapt their personality to user preferences to establish long-term relationships.
The Governor is also ensuring children victims of crime are supported. "A child becoming the victim of a crime is every parent's worst nightmare, especially when the crime is violent in nature," the Governor's office said.
"When that does happen, families must walk the difficult line of supporting the pursuit of justice while also protecting their young loved one from having to re-experience and relive the crime and trauma."
Child Advocacy Centers provide a child-friendly, safe, supportive environment for child victims of abuse or neglect and crime. Children and their loved ones have access to victim advocacy, mental health support and specialized medical exams from a multi-disciplinary team of professionals.
This year, Governor Hochul will double funding to the Child Advocacy Centers to ensure that as children receive services and support, they have one single advocate who works with them and their family through the entire process.
This will ensure young victims of crime and their families are prepared and supported by the same trusted adult at every step in the process.
Image via the office of New York Governor Kathy Hochul.
