After more than a decade of pushing lawmakers, a bill known as Kyra's Law has finally cleared the New York State Legislature and now heads to Gov. Kathy Hochul for consideration before the end of 2026. The proposal would require family courts to put child safety and documented domestic violence or abuse at the very top of the list when deciding custody and visitation. Backers say the shift is meant to prevent the kind of horror story that first sparked the campaign in 2016.
What Kyra's Law Would Actually Do
Kyra's Law (A.6194-C) instructs judges to closely review allegations of domestic violence, child abuse and other risk factors, including stalking, threats and coercive behavior, before granting custody or equal visitation. The bill also calls for stronger protective provisions, expanded training for judges and a statewide supervised-visitation initiative to be run through the Office of Children and Family Services. As outlined by the New York State Assembly, the measure is intended to give family courts clearer tools to spot danger in high-conflict custody cases.
The Long Island Tragedy Behind the Bill
The law is named for two-year-old Kyra Franchetti, who was killed in 2016 during an unsupervised, court-approved visit. Authorities say her father shot her, set his house on fire and then killed himself. Kyra's mother, Jacqueline Franchetti of Manhasset, turned that loss into a years-long campaign for reform, revising draft legislation multiple times as she pushed Albany to act. "Kyra's Law is going to move us lightyears forward in addressing the child custody crisis and protecting children from abusive parents," she told CBS News New York.
Bipartisan Muscle And Grassroots Heat
Supporters say Kyra's Law drew unusually broad cooperation in Albany, with lawmakers from both parties lining up behind reforms that explicitly center child safety in custody disputes. Advocates and groups connected to Franchetti organized rallies and a sustained pressure campaign that organizers say generated heavy public heat on legislators as the bill moved through committee and onto the floors of both chambers. PoliticsNY reported that the measure advanced unanimously through the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this spring.
Governor's Review And The Clock
With both chambers signing off this week, the bill now awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul's signature and a formal review by her office. In a statement to CBS News, a spokesperson said the governor will review the legislation and emphasized that protecting New Yorkers is a top priority. Supporters note she has until the end of the year to decide whether to sign it into law. The bill's full text is filed as A.6194 on the state legislature's website.
Advocates stress that passage in Albany is only the opening round. Counties that do not currently have supervised-visitation programs would need to build new capacity, and judges along with court staff will require training to recognize coercive control and other red flags. If signed, the law would change how family courts weigh risk and could spur new state funding and guidance for supervised-visitation centers. Franchetti and her supporters say they are already pressing for a fast rollout, arguing that the safety of New York's children is on the line.
