Domestic violence bills advance

OLYMPIA — Victims of domestic violence will get more protection under a package of bills now moving through the state Legislature.

Rep. Lauren Davis, D-Shoreline, is sponsoring House Bill 1715.

The law would require electronic monitoring of accused abusers with victim notification. It would also change the process for surrendering firearms and creates provisions under which a domestic violence victim can terminate a rental agreement.

Among other provisions, H.B. 1715 would establish the Domestic Violence Lethality Hotline.

Davis said her bill rejects the “status quo,” where victims receive a court order promising safety.

According to Davis, abusers follow consistent patterns and are predictable, but women are still killed every year by men they once loved.

“This is unacceptable,” she said. “House Bill 1715 builds the system that domestic violence survivors deserve.”

In addition, Senate Bill 5477, sponsored by Sen. Nikki Torres, R-Pasco, would extend the missing indigenous women task force.

The law requires law enforcement personnel to enter missing person cases into the national missing and unidentified system if a person has not been found within 30 days of a report or if an agency suspects criminal activity is the cause of the disappearance, she said.

Removing guns from the hands of abusers is another element that needs improvement, said Sen. Jesse Saloman, D-Shoreline.

As a prosecuting attorney and public defender, Saloman said he has seen how easy it is for defendants to say they don’t own a gun and are released without anyone checking.

His Senate Bill 5231 would establish a process for issuing an emergency domestic violence no-contact order. It is awaiting assignment to the Senate floor.

“We don’t need to have officers go back a second time to serve an order, so it’s really important that at the scene, they be given the ability to get an emergency order over the phone by calling a judge,” he said.

Sen. Manka Dhingra, D-Redmond, said 20% of all homicides are from domestic violence, as well as a quarter of rapes and more than half of simple assaults.

Black, indigenous and Hispanic women are at a higher risk, she said, noting disparities in homicide rates are seen more among women between the ages of 18- 29.