COMMITTEE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVES BILL TO STRENGTHEN PROTECTIONS FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Posted: February 12, 2014 | Senator Cain

Senator Cain’s bill to be sent to Senate for further votes

 

AUGUSTA— In a unanimous vote, the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee approved a bill sponsored by Democratic Senator Emily Cain of Orono to increase safety for victims of domestic violence.

 

“Domestic violence impacts people of all backgrounds, and takes a tremendous toll on our children and our communities,” said Senator Cain. “While we have taken major steps as a state to improve the way we respond to domestic violence in Maine, this bill will make much-needed improvements to our existing laws. I am grateful for the work of the committee, and all those who came to support the bill.”
The bill will make it clear that abusers are not to contact victims while being detained for domestic violence crimes prior to bail being set by a judge. The bill also clarifies the protection for survivors participating in the Address Confidentiality Program, a critical program maintained by the Office of the Secretary of State that helps keep victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking safe from their abusers.

 

“We identified a fixable loophole, and ways to strengthen and clarify existing laws to better protect victims of domestic violence,” added Senator Cain. “We must make sure the laws we pass work as intended and that protection is constant.”

 

The measure also builds upon a law sponsored by then-House Democratic Leader Cain requiring that law enforcement officers receive training to use evidence-based domestic violence risk assessments, and the creation of high-risk response teams. However, the law did not specify how the information obtained from the assessments could be used, so Senator Cain’s bill clarifies how  to share information obtained from the risk assessments in order to plan the most effective response when domestic violence occurs.
The bill, LD 1656, “An Act to Increase Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence,” will now be sent to the Senate for a vote.

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