Custody and visitation arrangements; best interests of the child, domestic abuse, child abuse. (HB1653)
Introduced By
Del. Chris Collins (R-Winchester) with support from co-patron Del. Mark Levine (D-Alexandria)
Progress
✓ |
Introduced |
✗ |
Passed Committee |
☐ |
Passed House |
☐ |
Passed Senate |
☐ |
Signed by Governor |
☐ |
Became Law |
Description
Custody and visitation arrangements; best interests of the child; domestic abuse; child abuse. Requires the court to consider domestic abuse, defined in the bill, and child abuse in addition to family abuse and sexual abuse in current law when determining the best interests of the child for the purposes of custody and visitation arrangements. Read the Bill »
Outcome
Bill Has Failed
History
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 11/29/2018 | Committee |
| 11/29/2018 | Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/09/19 19101689D |
| 11/29/2018 | Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice |
| 01/07/2019 | Assigned Courts sub: Subcommittee #2 |
| 01/21/2019 | Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (5-Y 0-N) |
| 02/05/2019 | Left in Courts of Justice |
Comments
The wording in this Bill is exactly what is needed to protect children and the normal caring parent from the constant abuse they have to endure from the other parent who has shown by their own history to be abusive by using Domestic Abuse to further harm their spouse, ex spouse, and child.
"Domestic abuse" means a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. "Domestic abuse" includes physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person and any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.
Many victims leave abusive situations hoping to save themselves and their children from the constant onslaught of such behavior only to find that the abuse continues even after they leave. Abusers are able to further victimize their spouse/exspouse in and out of court because there is no language in the courts or laws to protect them from their abuser from anything other than physical violence. It has been proven that abusers don't stop abusing, and victims are harmed immensely by emotional and psychological threats and actions just as much if not more than physical violence.
I hope and pray this Bill will be looked at again and passed. What can be done to try to get it passed?
The wording in this Bill is exactly what is needed to protect children and the normal caring parent from the constant abuse they have to endure from the other parent who has shown by their own history to be abusive by using Domestic Abuse to further harm their spouse, ex spouse, and child.
"Domestic abuse" means a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner. "Domestic abuse" includes physical, sexual, emotional, economic, or psychological actions or threats of actions that influence another person and any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone.
Many victims leave abusive situations hoping to save themselves and their children from the constant onslaught of such behavior only to find that the abuse continues even after they leave. Abusers are able to further victimize their spouse/exspouse in and out of court because there is no language in the courts or laws to protect them from their abuser from anything other than physical violence. It has been proven that abusers don't stop abusing, and victims are harmed immensely by emotional and psychological threats and actions just as much if not more than physical violence.
I hope and pray this Bill will be looked at again and passed. What can be done to try to get it passed?