Legislative Alert October 2007

Purpose

Legislative Alert

Teen Center's Legislative Alert helps keep you informed of legislative changes that affect services to teens experiencing dating violence. At both the federal and state level, changes to laws are being proposed and enacted each year that may influence your work with teens. The Legislative Alert will be published quarterly and feature many new laws and policies that impact the response to teen dating violence across the country.

Federal Update

Federal Appropriations Victory

In late July 2007, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly for four amendments to increase funding for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) by $29 million and for Victims of Crime (VOCA) by $10 million in their Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) Appropriations Bill. Combined with the $61.4 million in increases for VAWA that were included in the CJS bill passed out of committee, the budget for domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking services has been increased by $100.4 million this year. Some of this increased funding has been specifically designated to support youth programs. The Inslee-Burton Amendment provided $6 million for the Services to Advocate for and Respond to Youth (STARY) program. This new program will provide vital community services to teen and young adult victims of dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. Look out for updates this fall to confirm that these increases are included in the final bill passed by Congress.

State Update

Relationships Included in Domestic Violence Statutes

Domestic violence statutes in each state specify what categories of persons may apply for a civil protection order. In several states, victims in dating relationships with an abusive partner can not apply for a civil protection order. These states made changes to their laws to allow victims experiencing abuse in a dating relationship to apply for a civil protection order. Although teens may face other barriers in their state to obtaining a protection order, including dating relationships as a protected category does improve access for teen victims.

• Delaware - As of September 18, 2007, SB 57 allows persons in a current or former substantive dating relationship to apply for a domestic violence protective order in Delaware. Factors to consider for a substantive dating relationship include the length and type of the relationship, and the frequency of interaction between the parties.
• Maine - LD 988 expands the protection of Maine's protective order statute beginning September 20, 2007. Persons who were currently or formerly involved in dating each other, whether or not they are or were sexual partners, are now able to seek a protective order.

School Response to Teen Dating Violence

Several states have recently proposed legislation to implement policies and practices to address teen dating violence on school campuses, including the implementation of teen dating violence education for middle and high school students. These states passed legislation this year to improve the response to teen dating violence in their schools.

• Texas - HB 121 requires Texas school districts to adopt and implement a dating violence policy that addresses safety planning, enforcement of restraining orders, teacher and administrator training, counseling for affected students, and awareness education for students and parents. In select pilot counties, an age-appropriate dating violence curriculum will also be implemented for students in the 9th and 10th grade.
• Rhode Island - Also known as the Lindsay Ann Burke Act, SB 875 requires Rhode Island school districts to establish a protocol for addressing dating violence incidents at school and provide dating violence training to all teachers, administrators and staff at middle and high school levels. All school districts shall also incorporate age-appropriate dating violence education into the health curriculum framework for students in grades 7-12.

Contact Us

We want to know about the work that is being done in your state to improve the response to teen dating violence. If you know about or are involved in legislation pending in your state, contact us at policy@breakthecycle.org.