Hochul Yet to Sign Three Domestic Violence Bills

New York's governor has not yet acted on five domestic violence bills, including measures on stalking orders, custody review, and lethality assessments.

Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Sex Crimes

Bold flat-color editorial illustration of a state capitol dome in silhouette under overcast sky, with a shield form above, evoking pending domestic violence protections. — New York Governor Kathy Hochul has not yet signed three domestic violence bills, including Kyra's Law, the CREEP Behavior Act, and a lethality assessment measure, passed by the Legislature. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Governor Kathy Hochul has not yet signed three domestic violence bills passed by the New York Legislature. The package includes Kyra's Law, the CREEP Behavior Act, and a lethality assessment bill, all awaiting her action.

Why it matters

The bills would change how New York courts review custody cases involving domestic violence and how police assess the risk of lethal harm during responses. Their status matters for residents facing abuse or stalking who depend on these protections.

The CREEP Behavior Act was approved 139-2 in the Assembly and 59-0 in the Senate, and the lethality assessment bill passed both chambers unanimously. All three remain unsigned by Governor Hochul, and the extraction gives no signing deadline.

The players

Kathy Hochul

Kathy Hochul is the Governor of New York, whose signature is required for the pending domestic violence bills to become law.

The details

Kyra's Law is named for 2-year-old Kyra Franchettie, who was shot and killed by her father during a court-ordered unsupervised visit in 2016, and would require courts to review custody and visitation cases involving domestic violence or substantial risk of harm to a child. The CREEP Behavior Act would create anti-stalking orders of protection carrying the same penalties as other orders of protection, while the lethality assessment bill would require officers to complete a standardized assessment on domestic incident report forms.

2016: Kyra Franchettie is shot and killed by her father during an unsupervised court-ordered visit.
November 3, 2026: Five domestic violence bills await Governor Hochul's signature.

Legal Context

The lethality assessment approach originated in Maryland as a collaborative model between police and social services, and Utah and Florida have recently codified such assessments into law. New York's bill would follow that trajectory by requiring the assessment in standardized domestic incident reports.

If signed, the CREEP Behavior Act would allow victims of stalking to seek anti-stalking orders of protection with enforcement penalties matching other protective orders. The lethality assessment would give police a standardized risk screen during domestic violence calls.

The takeaway

Residents facing domestic abuse or stalking in New York should know that protective orders and police risk screening depend on legislative action still pending before the governor. Tracking the governor's decisions on these bills will show when new protections take effect.