State Senator Kevin Parker Proposes Legislation To Protect Victims of Domestic Violence

Albany, NY (3/1/17) – In his continued efforts to shine the spotlight on the scourge that is domestic violence, State Senator Kevin Parker has proposed a legislative package consisting of four (4) bills that will have a significant positive impact on the lives of those affected.

“The unfortunate truth is that New York State needs to do more to ensure protection for victims of domestic violence,” says State Senator Kevin Parker. “We need to pass the kind of legislation that gives greater support to domestic violence victims so they are able to maintain their jobs and stay in their homes. But at the same time, we need to work with survivors as well as current victims in identifying patterns with an aim at prevention and ultimately decreasing domestic violence cases in the long term,” added the Senator.

The cost of intimate partner violence in the U.S. alone exceeds $5.8 billion per year: $4.1 billion for direct healthcare services, and nearly $1.8 billion in worker productivity losses. In addition, domestic violence victims lose nearly 8 million days of paid work per year in the U.S. — the equivalent of 32,000 full-time jobs. The statistics surrounding domestic violence incidents is even more sobering: every nine seconds in the U.S., a woman is assaulted or beaten; around the world, at least one in every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex, or otherwise abused during her lifetime. Most often, the abuser is a member of her own family.

The package of potential laws that Senator Parker is advocating for in Albany this Legislative Session includes, but is not limited to:

• Senate Bill S2856 – Ensures that domestic violence victims are afforded an unpaid leave of absence of up to 20 days to further protect their job position and benefits.
• Senate Bill S3075 - Creates a commission that will study and make recommendations on the negative implications of dating violence among women.
• Senate Bill S3116 - Authorizes a victim of domestic violence to apply to remove the violent felony offender from the deed of a co-owned real estate property.
• Senate Bill S3432 – Also called the Domestic Violence Escalation Prevention Act, this proposed law will improve public safety and prevent domestic violence incidents from escalating by keeping guns out of the hands of known perpetrators. 

Several community organizations have come out in support of Senator Parker’s legislative initiative and his long term commitment to address this issue. “Domestic violence increases in intensity as time goes on,” said Nicole Sharpe - CEO/Founder, The Heather Hurley Foundation for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. “People need to understand that murder is always a possible eventuality. I speak from experience as I was orphaned when my father killed my mother. There are many victims/survivors in all facets of society. Domestic Violence is a not a personal issue but a societal problem that needs everyone's attention.”

Sharpe concluded, “I appreciate all that Senator Kevin Parker is doing to raise awareness concerning this ugly societal disease. The more we raise awareness and create programs and preventive educational programs catering to the immediate needs of victims and their children, the more we will see substantial progress as we move toward eradicating domestic violence.”

“Senator Parker has been a long-time supporter of my organization, says Carine Jocelyn, CEO of Diaspora Community Services which helps provide resources and support for victims of domestic violence. “We applaud his continued efforts to protect victims of domestic violence and help them to re-gain stability and re-build their lives.”

Senator Parker is a staunch anti-domestic violence advocate and has sponsored more domestic violence awareness bills than any other State Legislator. In bringing awareness to this national epidemic, his aim is to ultimately decrease the number of domestic violence incidents in New York State.

About State Senator Kevin Parker

Senator Parker, a lifelong Brooklyn resident, serves 318,000 ethnically diverse Brooklyn constituents in Flatbush, East Flatbush, Midwood, Ditmas Park, Kensington, Windsor Terrace, and Park Slope. He is the Ranking Democratic Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Telecommunications, and the Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse. He currently serves as the Democratic Whip for the New York State Senate Democratic Conference, as well as Assistant Democratic Leader for Intergovernmental Affairs, and the founder and Chair of the Senate Democratic Task Force on New Americans.  

For more information on Senator Parker, please visit www.nysenate.gov/senators/kevin-s-parker