Saratoga Standard

Senator Jim Tedisco and Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara have initiated a bipartisan appeal to Governor Kathy Hochul, advocating for enhanced privacy protections for child victims and the establishment of a state Cold Case Unit dedicated to locating missing persons.

The legislative push is backed by the Sena family, whose daughter was abducted in 2023 at Moreau Lake State Park. Following her rescue, she encountered multiple retraumatizing experiences within the legal system leading up to her kidnapper's conviction.

Support also comes from Mary Lyall, a nationally recognized advocate for missing persons, whose daughter disappeared from SUNY Albany in 1998. Last year, Tedisco and Santabarbara successfully lobbied for security cameras at Moreau Lake State Park and other state parks.

Tedisco and Santabarbara are now promoting "The Child Survivor Privacy Act" (S.22), which aims to ensure that child survivors have a consistent advocate during questioning and proceedings. The bill includes several privacy protections for minors involved in such cases.

“Helping to find missing persons and supporting their families has been one of the areas that I’ve focused on over my legislative career," stated Senator Jim Tedisco. He emphasized the bipartisan nature of their approach to including these measures in the state budget.

Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara highlighted his personal commitment as a father: “This bipartisan effort reflects our shared commitment to protecting child survivors from further trauma."

Jene Sena, aunt of the rescued girl, urged Governor Hochul to include the Child Survivor Privacy Act in this year's budget: “Our family has been through an unimaginable trauma... protecting Charlotte’s privacy and others like her has been our primary focus."

Mary Lyall expressed gratitude for efforts towards creating a special unit within New York State Police: “New York really needs a special unit that’s solely laser-focused on solving missing persons and cold cases."

In addition, Santabarbara and Tedisco are sponsoring legislation aimed at expediting Amber Alerts and increasing penalties for crimes against children.