Assembly Republican Leader Charles H. Nesbitt joined Governor Pataki and several women victimized by the prying eyes of hidden video cameras to announce a three-way agreement that will make it a crime in New York state to secretly videotape the private moments of others.

"Closing the video voyeurism loophole has been a top Assembly Republican priority," said Nesbitt (R,C-Albion). "Thanks to Governor Pataki's leadership, New York state law will now reflect advances in video technology and punish those who would use them to violate unsuspecting victims."

The finalized bill establishes the new offenses of unlawful surveillance, a Class D felony punishable by up to seven years in prison; and dissemination of an unlawful surveillance, a Class E felony punishable by up to four years. It also requires that convicted video voyeurs be listed on New York's Megan's Law Sex Offender Registry. The new legislation was necessary because state laws had not kept pace with technological advances, leaving a loophole which made it illegal to make surreptitious audio tapes, but perfectly legal to videotape others without their knowledge.