Assembly Passes Package of Bills to Protect Domestic Violence Victims

April 22, 2013

Longtime advocate for victims of domestic violence, Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs said today the Assembly passed several bills that will further aid victims of domestic violence.

“I am proud the New York State Assembly continues to demonstrate leadership when it comes to passing bills that will help victims of domestic violence,” Jacobs said today. “As the sponsor of the bill that created the New York State Governor’s Task Force on Domestic Violence in 1979, signed into law by then Governor Hugh Carey, I continue to work hard to help domestic violence survivors,” Jacobs said.

“Domestic violence can take on many forms and can wreak havoc on families on both a physical and psychological level,” Jacobs said. “It affects all types of households regardless of age, race or income, oftentimes leaving a long-term impact on victims and their families. It’s our responsibility to crack down on domestic violence and help victims of such abuse in any way that we can.”

The bills passed by the Assembly today would:

• Prohibit employment discrimination against domestic violence victims (A.898);
• Prohibit housing discrimination against victims of domestic violence by forbidding landlords and property sellers from denying an individual the right to purchase, rent, lease or inhabit housing (A.5387);
• Make it illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she has committed a family offense by adding certain family offenses to the list of “serious offenses” for which purchasing or possessing a license for a firearm, rifle or shotgun would constitute a class A misdemeanor (A.6390);
• Require orders of protection issued in family court to be interpreted into the native language of the individuals involved (A.1084);
• Expose individuals or parties who fail to obey or enforce an order of protection to joint liability for all non-economic damages sought by a claimant after a fact-finding by a judge or jury (A.899);
• Require hospitals to establish policies and procedures regarding domestic violence, establish ongoing training programs on domestic violence for staff and designate a hospital staff member to coordinate services to victims (A.2562); and
• Provide notice on orders of protection affirming that the protected party cannot be held to violate the order nor be arrested for violating the order (A.6547-A).

Assemblywoman Jacobs noted that the gun control law passed earlier this year, the New York Safe Act provided further safeguards for domestic violence victims, requiring courts to suspend or revoke a state pistol permit when issuing an order of protection upon determining that there is a substantial risk that the firearm could be used against the victim (Ch. 1 of 2013).

Last year, in response to domestic violence victims being required to leave shelters in New York City after 90 days, Assemblywoman Jacobs passed legislation to allow for more time in shelters in order to further assist victims as they worked toward stabilizing their lives. Under special circumstances, those in need of emergency shelter may stay up to an additional 45 days. Jacobs’ new law provides for a second, 45 day extension for an individual or family affected by domestic violence if neither the resident nor social services is able to secure safe, alternative housing.

Each year, roughly 450,000 incidents of domestic violence are reported in the state, and in 2011, New York State courts issued a total of 301,021 orders of protection, of which 218,872 were required to be recorded in the United Court System’s Domestic Violence Registry. One in four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime and in the United States, it’s estimated that each day, three women are murdered by their intimate partner.

“The damage caused by domestic violence can be extensive and in many cases goes beyond physical abuse,” Jacobs said. “Victims often do not have a support network or much-needed resources during this time. The Assembly’s legislation strengthens domestic violence laws and helps victims and their families.”

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