1 | 1 | | |
---|
2 | 2 | | |
---|
3 | 3 | | LCO No. 2301 1 of 2 |
---|
4 | 4 | | |
---|
5 | 5 | | General Assembly Proposed Bill No. 5926 |
---|
6 | 6 | | January Session, 2021 |
---|
7 | 7 | | LCO No. 2301 |
---|
8 | 8 | | |
---|
9 | 9 | | |
---|
10 | 10 | | Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY |
---|
11 | 11 | | |
---|
12 | 12 | | |
---|
13 | 13 | | Introduced by: |
---|
14 | 14 | | REP. GILCHREST, 18th Dist. |
---|
15 | 15 | | SEN. FLEXER, 29th Dist. |
---|
16 | 16 | | REP. PALM, 36th Dist. |
---|
17 | 17 | | REP. HORN, 64th Dist. |
---|
18 | 18 | | SEN. COHEN, 12th Dist. |
---|
19 | 19 | | SEN. MOORE, 22nd Dist. |
---|
20 | 20 | | REP. GOUPIL, 35th Dist. |
---|
21 | 21 | | REP. FARRAR, 20th Dist. |
---|
22 | 22 | | REP. KAVROS DEGRAW, 17th Dist. |
---|
23 | 23 | | |
---|
24 | 24 | | |
---|
25 | 25 | | |
---|
26 | 26 | | AN ACT CONCERNING THE PREVENTION OF FAMILY VIOLENCE. |
---|
27 | 27 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General |
---|
28 | 28 | | Assembly convened: |
---|
29 | 29 | | |
---|
30 | 30 | | That the general statutes be amended to: (1) (A) Incorporate language 1 |
---|
31 | 31 | | into section 46b-15 of the general statutes to address coercive control 2 |
---|
32 | 32 | | and the prominence of nonphysical abusive behaviors from which 3 |
---|
33 | 33 | | victims seek relief, and (B) in coordination with the Judicial Branch, 4 |
---|
34 | 34 | | update restraining order statutory language to remove the requirements 5 |
---|
35 | 35 | | of a notarized statement and instead allow applications to be made 6 |
---|
36 | 36 | | under penalty of false statement, allowing for a fully online process 7 |
---|
37 | 37 | | accessible to all victims; (2) incorporate consideration of risk and safety 8 |
---|
38 | 38 | | concerns after a relationship has ended into the Judicial Branch's 9 |
---|
39 | 39 | | existing training program and require that the branch submit a biennial 10 |
---|
40 | 40 | | report to the judiciary committee regarding the family violence training 11 |
---|
41 | 41 | | curriculum used and number of judges and court personnel trained over 12 |
---|
42 | 42 | | the previous biennium; (3) require that a safe space be provided to 13 Proposed Bill No. 5926 |
---|
43 | 43 | | |
---|
44 | 44 | | |
---|
45 | 45 | | LCO No. 2301 2 of 2 |
---|
46 | 46 | | |
---|
47 | 47 | | victims of family violence in all court locations; (4) require that, upon 14 |
---|
48 | 48 | | request, a Family Violence Victim Advocate in criminal court be 15 |
---|
49 | 49 | | provided with an arrest report, similar to the Office of Victim Service's 16 |
---|
50 | 50 | | advocates; (5) specify that violations of court orders issued for family 17 |
---|
51 | 51 | | violence will be considered a family crime; (6) address violations of 18 |
---|
52 | 52 | | court orders issued for family violence in an effort to highlight the 19 |
---|
53 | 53 | | increased risk that such violations pose in instances of family violence 20 |
---|
54 | 54 | | and that this heightened risk should be considered when the court is 21 |
---|
55 | 55 | | determining if cash bond should be required; (7) seek to define 22 |
---|
56 | 56 | | "expeditious" processing of U-Visa applications for victims of domestic 23 |
---|
57 | 57 | | violence and clarify the role of municipal and state law enforcement in 24 |
---|
58 | 58 | | the application process; (8) requiring that, upon the request of a tenant, 25 |
---|
59 | 59 | | a landlord change or permit the tenant to change a lock if they have a 26 |
---|
60 | 60 | | restraining or protective order issued by the court and that the landlord 27 |
---|
61 | 61 | | can charge the tenant the actual reasonable cost of changing the lock; (9) 28 |
---|
62 | 62 | | expedite nutritional assistance, child care benefits and cash assistance 29 |
---|
63 | 63 | | for victims of domestic violence; and (10) prohibit property and casualty 30 |
---|
64 | 64 | | insurers from discriminating against an individual solely because the 31 |
---|
65 | 65 | | individual is a victim of domestic violence and provide that such 32 |
---|
66 | 66 | | discrimination constitutes a violation of the Connecticut Unfair 33 |
---|
67 | 67 | | Insurance Practices Act. 34 |
---|
68 | 68 | | Statement of Purpose: |
---|
69 | 69 | | To address and prevent domestic violence in Connecticut. |
---|