Assemblymember Didi Barrett (D – Hudson) has announced that she helped pass several measures that would enhance protections for victims of domestic violence as well as provide them with additional help through challenging circumstances.

“Too often, victims of domestic violence continue to be victimized by our society – sometimes through discrimination, sometimes through a lack of understanding,” Assemblymember Barrett said. "Domestic violence often leaves a trail of destruction in its wake that can carry on from generation to generation. We need to help victims and their families get the support they need to restart their lives."

Specifically, the Assembly’s legislative package would:

• 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
• 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);
• prohibit employment discrimination against domestic violence victims (A.898);
• 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);
• 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).

Each year, New York State sees roughly 450,000 reported incidents of domestic violence.¹ In 2011, there were 118,556 assaults reported by police agencies outside of New York City, of which over one-quarter (30,096) were committed by intimate partners, with 80 percent of the victims being female.²

“There is no place in our society for abuse and violence," Assemblymember Barrett said. "I have advocated on behalf of women, children and families my whole life. We must do all we can to eliminate domestic violence in all our communities."

1. www.opdv.state.ny.us/help/fss/theproblem.html#facts

2. http://opdv.ny.gov/statistics/nydata/2011/nys2011data.pdf