SEN. KOLKHORST BRINGS BACK DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM SAFETY BILL
State Senator Lois Kolkhorst has filed legislation that seeks to protect domestic violence victims.
Last week, Kolkhorst filed Senate Bill 343, which requires that bond conditions be incorporated into a database that can be easily accessed by law enforcement, in order to determine if a domestic violence offender is violating a judge-ordered mandate.
Currently, law enforcement officers are unable to access and enforce conditions of bond information for family violence offenders, because the conditions are not required to be integrated into the law enforcement’s information system, called the Texas Crime Information Center (TCIC).
The bill, according to a release, provides direct language for entry of bond conditions into the TCIC, and it details a process for notifying survivors of bond conditions placed on the offender. Bond conditions would also remain effective for the entire duration of a case, and therefore would have a longer lifespan than emergency protective orders issued at magistration.
Kolkhorst said domestic violence cases in Texas have increased during the response to COVID-19, leading to a need for “more tools to protect victims.” She said she is looking forward to working to pass this legislation that will “protect countless victims from future violence and prevent avoidable tragedies.”
Gloria Aguilera Terry, CEO of the Texas Council of Family Violence (TCFV), thanked Kolkhorst for her “leadership in crafting and championing this legislation.” She said the provisions of the bill are “critical to protecting victims and creating accountability for those who perpetrate family violence.”
This is not the first time this bill has been in the state capitol; the bill was vetoed at the end of the 86th Legislative Session because of a hazardous waste amendment that was attached later in the process.