Gov. Scott Walker signed several bills into law today at various locations across Wisconsin, all of which deal with sexual and domestic abuse.
“Domestic violence affects thousands of women, children, and men in Wisconsin,” Walker said in a statement.
Two of the bills, Assembly Bills 615 and 643, clarify confusion with restraining order legislation. AB 615 requires courts to automatically send temporary restraining orders to local police departments for implementation. The other bill adjusts current law and updates the Department of Justice’s victim compensation program to cover expenses a victim may encounter as a result of the abuse.
The two Senate Bills, SB 323 and SB 351, help “ensure Wisconsinites have a safe and stable support system through the recovery process,” Walker said in the statement.
SB 323 helps give victims of sexual assault the right to have a victim advocate accompany them through the legal and medical systems. SB351 recognizes the 2002 Uniform Interstate Enforcement of Domestic Violence Protection Orders Act as valid in the state of Wisconsin. This act says that any domestic violence protection orders issued by another state or an Indian tribe have full faith and credit in this state, until the orders expire.
Walker also signed a bipartisan bill known as “Safe at Home” at Domestic Abuse Intervention Services in Madison. The legislation requires the Wisconsin Department of Justice to give victims of abuse entering the program a confidential address to use for mailing and public records. This new address would protect victims’ location and safety.
Promoting Awareness | Victim Empowerment, a UW-Madison student advocacy group dedicated to ending sexual abuse, praised the bills as “tremendous.”
“PAVE feels that these bills are a step in the right direction towards making Wisconsin a safer and more survivor-centered state,” said PAVE Communications Coordinator Helen Powling. “PAVE is proud to see our state Legislature and our governor taking a stand with survivors of domestic violence and intimate partner violence in the state of Wisconsin. These are serious issues that require activism on all levels of our community.”
