In a legislative session defined by Connecticut’s budget crisis, CCADV achieved a tremendous victory by enhancing state funding for domestic violence services.   This and many other accomplishments were the result of months of advocacy by Coalition members and the dedicated work of  the  House Speaker’s Task Force on Domestic Violence.   

On July 8th, Governor M. Jodi Rell held a bill signing ceremony at CCADV to enact three domestic violence bills  into law.  The Governor was joined by CCADV executive director Erika Tindill and Mr. Alvin Notice, who each remarked on the successful passage of legislation designed to support victims of domestic violence and create greater accountability for domestic violence perpetrators.   Public Act 10-91 requires local or regional boards of education to provide in-service training to teachers, administrators and pupil personnel on variety of subjects, including teen dating violence and domestic violence.  Public Act 10-137  provides additional rental protections for victims of domestic violence and it defines the distribution of Marriage License Surcharge funds. Public Act 10-144 allows the Family Unit of the Court Support Services Division of the Judicial Branch to communicate with other service providers and state agencies to provide for the effective treatment of domestic violence perpetrators; it eliminates the look back period for persistent offenders; it allows for the development of three new docket courts and a electronic monitoring pilot program and; it provides additional employment protections for victims.