Below please find the official Senate press release dated October 24 pertaining to legislation the Senate passed unanimously last week.
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BOSTON – The Senate on Thursday unanimously passed legislation to strengthen penalties for strangulation, enhance protections for victims of domestic violence and establish new employment rights that will help victims keep their jobs and increase long-term economic productivity. October is recognized nationally as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
“Victims of domestic violence continue to face barriers in their recovery and protecting themselves from future attacks, and we have an obligation to change that,” Senate President Therese Murray (D-Plymouth). “This bill will increase the rights and protections of victims and we hope to see this bill taken up by the House in a timely manner.”
“Too often domestic violence is invisible – unhealthy teen dating relationships, stalking, threats and emotional abuse, and sometimes years of physical violence,” said Senator Katherine Clark (D-Melrose). “Today, with this bill, the Senate acknowledges that every victim and survivor is our shared concern, and that we will ensure that our laws provide the necessary tools to end relationship violence in the Commonwealth.”
“While we have made important strides in trying to prevent domestic violence and to provide protection to victims of domestic violence, there remains more that we can and must do,” said Senator Cynthia Creem (D-Newton). “This bill adds new employment protections and additional tools for law enforcement and helps create a broader supportive environment for those who find themselves in often unimaginable domestic violence situations.”
“This bill provides important new workplace protections for victims of domestic violence, while strengthening penalties for offenders,” said Senator Stephen M. Brewer (D-Barre). “Domestic violence is an all too common problem that affects our friends and our neighbors. Under this legislation, victims and their family members will be provided with the security of knowing that they can take a leave of absence from their job to deal with the mental and physical effects of domestic violence, knowing that their job status is not in jeopardy. I am proud to support this measure to assist those who have had their lives touched by this type of abuse.”
The bill upgrades strangulation to a felony and creates penalties of up to 5 years in state prison, up to 2 1/2 years in a house of correction, by a fine of up to $5,000 or by both a fine and imprisonment. Currently, strangulation is not treated as a separate offense and charged as assault and battery unless there is a proven intent to kill.
The bill enhances penalties for strangulation when it causes serious bodily harm, is against a pregnant woman, there are subsequent strangulation convictions or if it is against a person who has a restraining order against the perpetrator to up to 10 years in state prison or 2 1/2 years in a house of correction and by a fine of up to $10,000.
In addition, the bill increases penalties for subsequent restraining order violations to up to 5 years in state prison or up to 2 1/2 in a house of correction. Under current law, penalties are limited to a fine of up to $5,000 or up to 2 1/2 years in a house of correction, or both.
The bill also creates a first offense for a domestic assault and battery charge. Current law includes penalties for subsequent offenses but fails to include a first offense, making the statute unenforceable.
To protect victims of domestic violence, the bill eliminates a provision that allows courts to dismiss charges if both parties agree in a written statement for domestic violence related offenses. Victims often feel pressure from their abuser to reconcile and are not emotionally able to resist their demands making this provision inappropriate for domestic violence related offenses.
The bill also takes steps to help victims recover and continue to make a living by requiring employers with 50 or more employees to allow up to 15 days of leave, with or without pay, to any employee who is a victim of domestic violence or lives with a family member who is a victim of domestic violence. Employees can use the leave to obtain medical attention, counseling, housing, protection orders and other legal assistance.
Employers can require employees to provide restraining orders, police reports, medical notes or other official documentation, such as a conviction record or victim advocate statement, to certify that the employee or employee’s family member is a victim of domestic violence.
Under this bill, all information about the employee’s leave must be kept confidential. In addition, employees must exhaust all available leave, such as vacation and sick time, before seeking leave established under this bill; however an employer may waive this requirement.
The bill now goes to the House of Representatives.
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