I can't speak to the actual legalities of the legislation, but being a native New Yorker, i can assure you that nothing happens in the NYS legislature without kickbacks, favors, and pay-offs...and once you've got the bill passed the governor still has to sign it - and he'll want his cut of the action too. 
The chance to pander to an internationally influential Cardinal is a hard prize for an Albany politician to walk away from, especially if they're from a district with a Catholic constituency. On the other hand, none of them want their election opponent to claim they "voted to protect pedophiles and sexual predators." 
Honesty, it's much safer to make promises, do nothing, cover your keister, and collect donations from both sides of the issue while the legislature considers the matter for an indefinite period of time. And, if that's not good enough, you can always send it back to committee for revision until the session ends.