Assemblyman Buchwald Helps Pass Increased Protections and Assistance For Victims of Domestic Violence

State Assemblyman David Buchwald (D-Westchester) announced that he helped pass legislation in the State Assembly to provide more assistance to, and increase protections for, victims of domestic violence. This coincides with this year’s National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, which is April 21 – 27.

“Domestic violence can happen in any family, in any financial situation and at any age,” Assemblyman Buchwald said. “It falls on the community to do all we can to help the victims of these heinous acts and persecute the offenders to the fullest extend of the law. Recovery from both the physical and psychological aftermath of domestic violence can often take years to overcome. This legislation goes a long way toward strengthening protections and providing additional services for victims and their families as they get back on their feet.”

The Assembly’s legislative package would:

• prohibit employment discrimination against domestic violence victims (A.898);
• expose individuals or parties who fail to obey or enforce an order of protection to joint liability for all non-economic damages sought by a claimant after a fact-finding by a judge or jury (A.899);
• prohibit housing discrimination against victims of domestic violence by forbidding landlords and property sellers from denying an individual the right to purchase, rent, lease or inhabit housing (A.5387);
• require orders or protections issued in family court to be interpreted into the native language of the individuals involved (A.1084);
• require hospitals to establish policies and procedures regarding domestic violence, establish ongoing training programs on domestic violence for staff and designate a hospital staff member to coordinate services to victims (A.2562);
• make it illegal for an individual to possess a firearm if he or she has committed a family offense by adding certain family offenses to the list of “serious offenses” for which purchasing or possessing a license for a firearm, rifle or shotgun would constitute a class A misdemeanor
   (A.6390); and
• provide notice on orders of protection affirming that the protected party cannot be held to violate the order nor be arrested for violating the order, (A.6547-A).

Each year, roughly 450,000 incidents of domestic violence are reported in the state,[1] and in 2011, New York State courts issued a total of 301,021 orders of protection, of which 218,872 were required to be recorded in the United Court System’s Domestic Violence Registry.[2]

For information, counseling and shelters, individuals can call:

• Westchester County Office for Women Family Helpline/Hotline - weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (914) 995-5972;
• Hope's Door (formerly Northern Westchester Shelter) 24-hours toll free (888) 438-8700.

[1] www.opdv.state.ny.us/help/fss/theproblem.html#facts

[2] www.opdv.state.ny.us/statistics/nydata/2011/nys2011data.pdf