Home Public Policy 2010 Legislative News

2010 Legislative News

E-mail Print PDF
The General Assembly is in full swing and I have many exciting updates for you all. I'll try to keep this as brief as possible, so if you have any questions or want more details, let me know.
First, the DV Child Safety Bill. The press conference held regarding the release of the report "Safety for Children" went over very well, as many of you all know. There is now a HEARING on the legislation scheduled in House Judiciary for next Tuesday, the 30th. This will be the first hearing, and should be very exciting. Try to come if you can! Additionally, this bill has now been entered in the Senate by Senator Maryellen Goodwin (copy attached), so it is now in on both sides.
Second, the Clarification Bill. This bill is another RICADV priority, and has been introduced in the past. It makes domestic petty misdemeanors (such as disorderly conduct) qualify for enhanced penalties under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act. There has been a hearing in both House and Senate Judiciary. WRCNBC's Veronica Hobbs did a wonderful job testifying at the House hearing, and WCRI's Carmen Gonzalez testified last night in the Senate!

The General Assembly closed in the early hours (around 4 a.m.) of June 11.  This is the earliest they have adjourned since 1988! The 2010 Legislative Session is one of small victories to help us set up for next year.

    We are disappointed to learn that despite passing the Senate unanimously and having broad-based support, the Domestic Violence Prevention Clarification Bill (S 2687 - Crowley; H 7495 - Coderre) did not pass the House of Representatives before the session closed, as we had hoped.  This bill makes domestic petty misdemeanors (such as disorderly conduct) qualify for enhanced penalties under the Domestic Violence Prevention Act. However, the good news is that this bill passed the full Senate for the first time, which is huge progress.  This will help us next year significantly. 

    The Child Safety Bill (S 2705 - Goodwin; H 7483 - Coderre) also did not pass.  It did make excellent progress in both the Senate and House hearings, and we will certainly be pushing it next session as our top priority. 

    There are two positive developments which came out of the session.  First, an address confidentiality bill put in by the Secretary of State's office--which clarified provisions in the DV address confidentiality voter registration law--passed both houses easily.  And second, the budget passed and there were NO funding cuts for any DV programs from the state budget.  Obviously this is ALWAYS great news!

    For more information about RICADV's legislative priorities, please contact our Legislative Coordinator, Jessica Seitz, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (401) 467-9940 ext. 106.

     

    Public Policy