Sen. Gounardes Joins Survivors, Lawmakers to Urge Assembly to Pass CREEP Act, Close New York’s Stalking Protection Gap

Legislation would modernize outdated stalking protections, create civil anti-stalking recourse before harm escalates, and bring New York in line with 43 states already offering broader stalking protections.

View photos and video here.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: APRIL 30, 2026

Survivors of stalking and harassment, lawmakers, advocates, and allies held a press conference this morning on the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall urging the New York State Assembly to pass the CREEP Act (S.3394A / A.3226A), legislation that would allow stalking victims to seek civil orders of protection regardless of their relationship to the person stalking them.

The legislation would modernize outdated stalking protections, create civil anti-stalking recourse before harm escalates, and bring New York in line with 43 states — including New York’s five neighbors — already offering broader protections.

The press conference featured remarks from the bill’s primary sponsors, Senator Andrew Gounardes of Brooklyn and Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas of Queens, as well as NYC-based survivor-advocates including fashion model Lameka Fox, and Carrie Goldberg, founder of Brooklyn-based law firm C.A. Goldberg, one of the nation’s top victims’ rights practices, focused on stalking, harassment, and digital abuse.

Under current New York law, civil orders of protection — court orders that a victim can seek without a criminal case — can only be obtained by those with familial or intimate relationships to the person stalking them. This antiquated relationship requirement leaves many victims such as those targeted by coworkers, strangers, or online harassers without access to civil protective orders. These New Yorkers are completely reliant on law enforcement prioritizing their case and intervening before it’s too late. New York is one of only seven states that deny its residents the modern, comprehensive stalking protections the CREEP Act will offer New Yorkers.

“Stalking destroys lives, and New York’s laws still leave too many survivors exposed,” said Senator Andrew Gounardes (D-26), lead Senate sponsor of the CREEP Act. “Right now, many survivors are forced to seek safety through a legal system that fails to give them the protection they need. The CREEP Act would change that by creating a new civil anti-stalking order of protection that allows courts to step in quickly, before harm escalates. Forty-three other states have figured this out. It’s time New York did too — by modernizing our laws for a world where harassment has gone digital and ensuring no victim is left without protection simply because our laws have failed to keep up.”

The CREEP Act would allow civil courts to issue anti-stalking orders to any victim of stalking or harassment — regardless of their relationship to the perpetrator. If a stalker continues to contact a victim after an order is issued and served, they can be arrested. The bill would maintain full due process protections for the accused, with courts required to evaluate evidence and make findings of good cause before issuing even a temporary order.

“New York’s laws have not kept pace with the reality of how stalking and harassment occur today, leaving too many survivors without meaningful options for protection,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas (D-34), lead Assembly sponsor of the CREEP Act. “As abuse increasingly moves online, we need tools that allow people to act quickly—before harm escalates further. The CREEP Act would give survivors a clear, accessible path to safety by empowering civil courts to intervene when it matters most. This legislation is long-overdue and the Assembly must move now to pass the CREEP Act and ensure no one is left without protection.”

“Stalking and harassment by neighbors, acquaintances, or strangers can leave victims afraid and without a meaningful way to make the behavior stop before it escalates. The CREEP Act offers a common-sense solution by giving more New Yorkers a fair civil process to seek court-ordered protection without having to initiate a criminal case,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “This legislation would close a dangerous gap in New York law while preserving due process for everyone involved. I commend Senator Gounardes and Assemblymember González-Rojas for sponsoring this important bill, and thank the advocates and impacted New Yorkers whose work has brought urgency to this issue.”

The New York State Senate passed the bill unanimously twice and it now awaits action in the State Assembly. According to the U.S. Department of Justice and American Journal of Criminal Justice, 80% of today’s stalking victims report being stalked with technology and all of them report being just as fearful as those who experience in-person stalking.

The CREEP Act would create a new pathway for victims of stalking, harassment, and digital abuse — including cyberstalking, doxxing, nonconsensual intimate imagery, and AI-generated deepfakes — to seek protection in civil court before harm escalates.

“Because my stalker was a stranger, police told me their hands were tied under New York law,” said Lameka Fox, fashion model and survivor-advocate. “Even after he tracked me down, harassed me online, found my address, and told me to ‘prepare to die for love,’ I still could not get a civil protective order because he was not an ex-boyfriend or family member. The CREEP Act would ensure other New Yorkers can get protection based on the danger they face, not arbitrary relationship criteria.”

The CREEP Act is backed by the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York and more than 25 nationally recognized victims’ rights organizations, including RAINN, Safe Horizon, Sanctuary for Families, the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Joyful Heart Foundation, Legal Momentum, Women’s Equal Justice, and MyOwn Image.

“Protecting people from stalking, harassment, and tech-facilitated injuries is this law firm's founding purpose,” said Carrie Goldberg, founder of C.A. Goldberg, PLLC. “Every day, people come to us for help after being terrorized and stalked through various tech products. The criminal system ignores them or is too slow. While a civil order of protection requires immediate relief for people just wanting to be left alone, New York’s current law abandons many of them -- in cases where their stalker does not fit into one of the state’s narrow relationship categories. Victims currently can only get a civil order of protection if they are related to their stalker or had an intimate relationship with them. The CREEP Act gives courts a practical tool to step in promptly, preserve due process, and stop dangerous behavior before it escalates.”

Press Contact:

Billy Richling

Communications Director

State Senator Andrew Gounardes

billy@senatorgounardes.nyc

###