On Aug. 8, 2019, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation amending the Penal Law of New York, which for the first time will specifically criminalize staged accidents and their outcomes. The law takes effect on Nov. 1, 2019.

The law is named after Alice Ross, a 71-year-old Queens grandmother who was killed in 2003 after the vehicle she was in was deliberately rammed in a fraud scheme. The perpetrator was convicted of manslaughter and conspiracy in 2006 and was recently released on probation.

Alice’s Law