Assemblyman Chuck Lavine (D-Glen Cove) is pushing for legislation to help young athletes who become victims of sexual abuse, in the wake of the sentencing of Larry Nassar who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting more than 150 U.S. Olympic gymnasts.

The disgraced former doctor was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison this week after days of testimony from his victims.

The bill would make it mandatory for every athletic organization to report incidents of sexual abuse and harassment to the state of New York, and then the state will be able to take appropriate action.

"These organizations, which are very profitable, will think twice about allowing an environment of abuse and harassment if they run the risk of no longer being sanctioned by the state of New York," said Assemblyman Lavine. 

Meredith Kennelly, of Huntington, whose daughter Jillian is a gymnast, says the legislation is long overdue. 

"We always have to protect our children and there has to be real accountability to the people that they trust," says Kennelly.

The assemblyman will introduce the bill this week, and hopes to get the governor to sign off on it within a matter of months.