Rick Karlin is reporting for the Times Union a bill that would require private schools in New York to report incidents of sex abuse by teachers or other staffers to the police has been sent to Gov. Andrew Cuomo for signature. The measure would impose the same reporting requirements on private educational institutions that public schools have been subject to for 20 years. “This is a big loophole that needs to be closed,” said Mary Pulido, executive director of the New York State Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. “People just took for granted that when abuse occurred in a private school it had to be reported,” she said. Parochial school officials say they support the legislation. "This bill is a no-brainer and a critical tool in protecting children. The Catholic Conference urges the governor to sign it immediately,’ said conference spokesman Dennis Poust. The legislation comes as pressure grows to increase the age when child victims can sue their abusers in civil court. That proposed legislation, known as the Child Victim’s Act, would be in addition to the education law, which covers the reporting requirement. Nearly 500,000 of the state's 3 million K-12 students attend private schools. Read the full story in the Times Union.