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Governor Andrew M. Cuomo joined by Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver today signed into law a historic bill that makes New York State the first "all crimes DNA" state in the nation, by requiring DNA samples be collected from anyone convicted of a felony or Penal Law misdemeanor. In addition, the new law also significantly expands defendants' access to DNA testing and comparison both before and after conviction in appropriate circumstances, as well as to discovery after conviction where innocence is claimed.

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), a landmark in the movement to end violence against women and girls, is up for re-authorization. Authored by then-Senator Joseph Biden and signed into law in 1994, VAWA revolutionized the way violent crimes against women are prosecuted and prevented, and the way communities respond to survivors.

The New York State Assembly is on deck to approve the state's DNA Databank Expansion Bill. Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed the expansion of the bill to include all misdemeanor convictions.

The Joyful Heart foundation was created by Law and Order: SVU star Mariska Hargitay to help victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or child abuse. Hargitay hosted the “Joy Rocks” celebration event, which made more than $150,000 during a star-studded brunch at the House of Blues on a sunny Sunday afternoon, March 4.

Listen up, "Saturday Night Live": We think it's time you let Mariska Hargitay host!

Listen up, "Saturday Night Live": We think it's time you let Mariska Hargitay host!

In the United States, nearly four children die every day as a result of child abuse and neglect. More than three quarters of these children are under the age of five and more than 40 percent of young victims won’t live to see their first birthday. In 2010, 4,199 cases of child abuse were reported in Hawaii. And yet, most of these could have been prevented: Studies show that the stronger the support network parents have, the less likely they are to abuse their children.

Uh oh! It looks like bad news for fans who hope that Grey's Anatomy docs Owen Hunt (Kevin McKidd) and Cristina Yang (Sandra Oh) can still save their marriage.

"It's just sad and hard right now," Oh told TV Guide Magazine at Sunday's L.A. benefit for Mariska Hargitay's Joyful Heart Foundation which supports survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. "If there's [hope], I can't see it right now."

While Grey's Anatomy is known for its wacky, even sometimes funny, medical cases, Shonda Rhimes isn't afraid of facing more prevalent, serious issues head-on when she wants to.

I will never forget the first time I answered a sexual assault hotline and spoke to a woman on the other side of the line. She had just been raped by a family member and her voice shook as she hid in a closet in the basement of her house, yet she bravely stayed on the phone for two hours while we explored how to help her find a path to safety.