MEMORANDUM of SUPPORT: Ceasing Repeated and Extremely Egregious Predatory (CREEP) Behavior Act
BILL NUMBER: S.3394A (Gounardes)/A.3226A (Gonzalez-Rojas)
STATEMENT OF SUPPORT: The Center for Elder Law & Justice (CELJ) supports the CREEP Act, which modernizes New York’s stalking laws by expanding access to civil orders of protection for all victims of stalking, regardless of their relationship to the perpetrator.
We urge you to pass S3394A/A3226A, the Ceasing Repeated and Extremely Egregious Predatory (CREEP) Behavior Act, to protect all New Yorkers who are being stalked. CREEP is sponsored by Senator Andrew Gounardes (D-26) and Assemblymember Jessica González-Rojas (D-34).
CELJ is a nonprofit civil legal services provider that has served Western New York for over 40 years. Our work focuses on older adults and vulnerable populations across ten counties. We advocate for systems change in elder justice, housing stability, consumer protection, and the prevention of financial exploitation. The CREEP Act aligns directly with our mission by strengthening access to justice and enabling earlier intervention to prevent harm.
Under current New York law, civil orders of protection only apply to individuals who are related to or have had an “intimate relationship” with the person causing harm. As a result, many victims, especially those targeted by neighbors, caregivers, service providers, or people involved in harassment or financial exploitation, are left without effective civil options.
For these individuals, the only available pathway is through the criminal legal system, which can be time-consuming, inconsistent, and often reactive rather than preventative. By contrast, the CREEP Act allows victims to pursue a civil order of protection directly, offering a more timely, accessible, and victim-centered path to safety.
CELJ and our community partners have seen firsthand how this gap leaves individuals unprotected. In a recent case, a partner service provider in Western New York sought assistance for a client facing ongoing threats and harassment from someone with whom they had no family or romantic ties. Despite multiple police reports, no effective action took place, and the client was ineligible for a Family Court order of protection. As a result, she was left without a viable legal pathway to secure protection, even as the danger grew. These cases are not isolated; they reflect a broader structural limitation in New York’s current framework.
The CREEP Act directly addresses this gap by allowing all victims of stalking to petition for a civil Order of Protection, aligning New York with the 43 states that already offer this protection.
CELJ frequently works with individuals facing patterns of harassment, intimidation, or surveillance that might not meet criminal thresholds initially but still cause significant fear and instability. By enabling earlier court intervention, the CREEP Act supports a preventative approach, helping to lower the risk of physical harm, disrupt paths to financial exploitation, and promote safer, more stable communities.
For older adults in particular, harassment and stalking can have serious consequences for housing stability, physical and mental health, and financial security. Access to civil orders of protection, such as no-contact and stay-away provisions, helps stabilize living environments and supports the ability to age in place safely and with dignity.
For these reasons, the Center for Elder Law & Justice strongly supports S.3394A / A.3226A and urges the Legislature to pass this critical legislation.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss this further, please contact Se’Vaughn Herrera, Policy Analyst, at sherrera@elderjusticeny.org.
