California Senate Unanimously Passes Senator Rubio Bill  Increasing Domestic Violence Protections

SACRAMENTO, CA – The California Senate today unanimously passed a bill by Sen. Susan Rubio (D-Baldwin Park) that would expand protections for domestic violence survivors by allowing them to describe psychologically damaging and abusive behavior as supporting evidence in family court hearings and criminal trials. 

Senate Bill 1141 would add “coercive control” to the Family Code. This behavior of coercive control includes: Isolating the victim from friends, relatives, or other support; depriving the victim of basic necessities; controlling the victim’s communications, daily behavior, finances, economic resources, and many other behaviors that cause severe emotional distress. 

“I want to thank my Senate colleagues for strengthening our protections for domestic violence victims,” Senator Rubio said. “They realize, as I do, that our current legal system does not reflect how domestic violence happens in reality. An abuser uses physical violence and “coercive control” behavior to dominate the abused. I also want to thank all my partners and collaborators who have strongly supported this bill. For all the survivors out there, we are listening, we hear you, and we remain committed to preventing and ending domestic violence.” 

The bill is sponsored by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office, and supporters include: Crime Victims United of California, Elizabeth House, FreeFrom, Pathways for Victims of Domestic Violence, Peace Over Violence, StrengthUnited, and the YWCA of San Gabriel Valley.

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