COMMITTEE APPROVES WASHINGTON’S DOMESTIC AND CHILD ABUSE BILLS

            HARRISBURG, June 17 – State Sen. LeAnna M. Washington (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery) announced today that her legislative initiatives to provide more funding to child abuse and domestic violence programs were approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Both bills now go to the full Senate for consideration.

Senate Bill 919 and 920 are aimed at addressing the critical shortage of funding for domestic violence and child abuse prevention services across the state. The bills would increase the dedicated fees on marriage licenses and divorce filings to generate funding for statewide domestic violence services and for child abuse prevention initiatives funded through the Children’s Trust Fund.

“I am pleased to see these critical pieces of legislation moving forward in the Senate,” Washington said.  “With approximately 80,000 Pennsylvania victims of domestic violence each year and thousands of children becoming victims of neglect and abuse, this legislation will go far toward ending this endless cycle of abuse.”

Senate Bill 919 would increase the surcharge on marriage applications to $35 and on divorce complaints to $25.  Under present law, a $10 surcharge is imposed on all applications for marriage licenses and divorce complaints that are then paid into the Children’s Trust Fund.  The fund is governed by the Children’s Trust Fund Board within the Department of Public Welfare and is used for community-based children’s programs and services for child abuse and neglect prevention.

Senate Bill 920 would increase the fee for marriage licenses to $38 of which $2.50 would be retained by the county where the license is issued and $35.50 would be remitted to the Commonwealth and placed into the General Fund through the office of State Treasurer.  Of that amount, $35.00 dollars would be forwarded to the Department of Public Welfare for the use of victims of domestic violence.

“These are existing fees that have never been increased in the two decades since they were enacted.,” Washington said.  “This legislation provides an appropriate cost adjustment reflecting both the increased demand for services and the increased cost of providing them.”

According to the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence,

• The dire economy has produced a surge in both the frequency and severity of violent abuse.  Financial strain and high unemployment exacerbate abusive situations while also limiting victims’ options to break free.  Too often, abusers misdirect their financial frustrations by lashing out at their partners and children.
• Moreover, times have been very tough for programs serving abuse victims since even before the recession.
• Years of stagnant or decreasing funding has forced domestic violence programs to eliminate staff positions and critical programming.
• In the past five years, community and prevention education has dropped 50%, children’s services have been severely cut due to lack of staff, and the number of unmet requests for services has increased 33%.
• Similarly, there is an increasing demand for child abuse prevention initiatives provided through the Children’s Trust Fund (CTF), yet funding for such initiatives has not increased once since the Fund’s creation in 1988.
• However, in 2007 CTF was able to fund only 10 proposals statewide, in 2008 only six of them, and in 2009 sufficient funding was not available to fund any additional programs.

 “Victims of domestic violence and child abuse deserve the opportunity for a second chance at life, away from all the abuse,” Washington said.  “These funds will hopefully help these victims rebuild their lives and ensure their safety.”

Washington has been a long time advocate for victims of domestic violence and child abuse.

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