Governor Scott Walker signs bills designed to help crime victims

Governor Scott Walker signed Assembly Bill 615 and Assembly Bill 643 into law at The Women’s Community, Inc. in Wausau.  These bills work to protect victims of domestic violence and abuse, and will ensure they receive proper care and support.

“We’re here at The Women’s Community Inc., today to sign this important legislation into law to address domestic violence in Wisconsin,” Governor Walker said.  “These bills clarify laws pertaining to restraining orders and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Crime Victim Compensation Program.  Together, they protect victims of domestic abuse who decide to stand up and empower themselves through the court system and provide relief to victims of crime by helping with the unexpected expenses on their road to recovery.”

Assembly Bill 615 – requires courts to automatically forward temporary restraining orders and other documents to the sheriffs’ departments to execute service.  Once service of the respondent is accomplished, sheriffs’ departments are directed to use the online Wisconsin Statewide Victim Notification Service (VINE) system to provide notification to the victim.  Authored by Representative Amy Loudenbeck (R – Clinton) and Senator Jerry Petrowski (R – Marathon), the bill passed the Assembly on a voice vote and was concurred by the Senate on a voice vote.  It is Act 349.

Assembly Bill 643 – makes changes to the Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) victim compensation award program to update coverage.  If a victim suffers a disability as a result of a crime, covered expenses may include reasonable housing accessibility adaptations and adds victims of certain crimes to the list of persons eligible for compensation.  The bill also increases funeral and burial allowances to $5,000 and allows a parent of a child who was the victim to receive compensation up to $3,000 for economic losses for mental health treatment.  Authored by Representative Rob Hutton (R – Brookfield) and Senator Jerry Petrowski (R – Marathon), the bill passed the Assembly on a voice vote and was concurred by the Senate on a voice vote.  It is Act 350.

Protecting the citizens of Wisconsin has always been a priority for Governor Walker, and in 2014, he signed three bipartisan bills into law – Acts 321, 322, and 323 – which enhanced protections for victims of domestic violence.  In the 2015-17 biennial budget, Governor Walker reinforced his commitment to ending domestic violence and assisting its victims by increasing domestic abuse grants by $5 million, which represents a 50 percent increase in state funding.

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Governor Scott Walker signed Senate Bill 323 and Senate Bill 351 into law at Golden House in Green Bay.  This legislation protects victims of domestic violence and abuse, and ensures they receive the care and support they need.

“Domestic violence affects thousands of women, children, and men in Wisconsin,” Governor Walker said.  “The legislation we’re signing into law here today at Golden House provides victims of domestic abuse  in our state with the right to have a victim advocate for support and empowerment, and aligns Wisconsin laws with the 2002 Uniform Interstate Enforcement of Domestic Violence Protections Orders Act.  Ultimately, this legislation helps ensure Wisconsinites have a safe and stable support system through the recovery process.”

Senate Bill 323 – allows victims of sexual assault the right to be accompanied by a victim advocate to help victims navigate the legal and medical systems.  An advocate is an individual who is an employee or a volunteer for an organization whose purpose is to provide counseling, assistance, or support services free of charge to the victim.  Authored by Senator Robert Cowles (R – Green Bay) and Representative John Murtha (R – Baldwin), the bill passed the Senate on a voice vote and was concurred by Assembly on a voice vote.  It is Act 351.

Senate Bill 351 – creates additional statutory language to enact the 2002 Uniform Interstate Enforcement of Domestic Violence Protection Orders Act (UIEDVPOA) as adopted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.  The bill requires that courts and law enforcement enforce the terms of valid protection orders from other states as if they were entered by the enforcing state, until the order expires.  All terms of the order must be enforced.  An individual may, but is not required to register a foreign protection order within the enforcing state to prevent possible challenges and facilitate effective enforcement.  Authored by Senator Fred Risser (D – Madison) and Representative André Jacque (R – De Pere), the bill passed the Senate on a voice vote and was concurred by the Assembly on a voice vote.  It is Act 352.

Governor Walker has always made protecting the citizens of the great state of Wisconsin a priority, and in 2014, he signed Acts 321, 322, and 323 into law.  This bipartisan legislation enhanced protections for victims of domestic violence.  This year, Governor Walker reinforced his commitment to ending domestic violence and assisting its victims by increasing domestic violence abuse grants by $5 million in the 2015-17 biennial budget, which represents a 50 percent increase in state funding.

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Governor Scott Walker signed Assembly Bill 767, Assembly Bill 652, Assembly Bill 663, and Senate Bill 488 into law today at Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) in Madison.  These bills protect victims of domestic violence and abuse and ensure they receive the care and support they need.

“The safety of all Wisconsinites is our top priority,” Governor Walker said.  “The bills we’re signing into law here today at DAIS in Madison focus specifically on protecting victims of domestic violence.  They do that by enhancing victim’s rights, clarifying Wisconsin’s restitution process, and creating an address confidentiality program to protect victims of abuse.”

Assembly Bill 767 – allows a court, when issuing a domestic violence injunction, child abuse injunction, injunction for individuals at risk, or a harassment injunction, to also issue an order for a wireless telephone service provider to transfer the following from the respondent to the petitioner: the right to continue to use one or more telephone numbers indicated by the petitioner and the financial responsibility associated with the number or numbers to the petitioner.  The bill also allows the petitioner to request the transfer of each telephone number that he or she, or a minor child in the petitioner’s custody, uses.  Authored by Representative Jessie Rodriguez (R – Franklin) and Senator Roger Roth (R – Appleton), the bill passed the Assembly on a voice vote and was concurred by the Senate on a voice vote.  It is Act 353.

Assembly Bill 652 – gives victims of a crime for which the offender was sentenced to prison the right, upon request, to be notified by the Department of Corrections (DOC) if the offender’s release to parole or extended supervision is revoked.  DOC is also required to design and make available cards for a victim to send to DOC to request notification.  If a victim requests such notification, DOC is required to make a reasonable attempt to send the notice to the last-known address of the victim, postmarked not more than 10 days after the revocation.  Authored by Representative Edward Brooks (R – Reedsburg) and Senator Lena Taylor (D – Milwaukee), the bill passed the Assembly on a voice vote and was concurred by the Senate on a voice vote.  It is Act 354.

Assembly Bill 663 – makes several changes to the order in which restitution is collected, including: holding offenders accountable and helping victims collect court-ordered restitution by allowing for collection of supervision fees only after court-ordered restitution is paid in full; allowing for the collection of restitution from wages earned and held by inmates while incarcerated; eliminating the 13-week garnishment limit, which under current law requires victims to constantly renew the order; certifying the amount of restitution owed and allowing the Department of Revenue (DOR) to use tax intercept as a collection tool; and requiring annual reporting of the amount of restitution ordered and collected to the Legislature to ensure the process is transparent and open.  Authored by Representative Rob Hutton (R – Brookfield) and Senator Luther Olsen (R – Ripon), the bill passed the Assembly with a vote of 94-3 and was concurred by the Senate on a voice vote.  It is Act 355.

Senate Bill 488 – requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to provide an assigned address to each program participant and forward all mail it receives at the assigned address to the participant’s actual address.  DOJ may not disclose a participant’s actual address to any person, except: pursuant to a court order, or to a law enforcement officer with the permission of the participant or if the participant is suspected of criminal activity.  In addition, if a participant submits a written request to a local clerk that he or she keeps the participant’s actual address private, the clerk may not disclose any record in his or her possession that would reveal the participant’s actual address, except pursuant to a court order.  The bill also allows a program participant to use the assigned address provided to him or her for all purposes.  Finally, the legislation allows a program participant to also participate in the confidential voter program under current law, in which a voter’s name and address are not disclosed.  Authored by Senator Scott Fitzgerald (R – Juneau) and Representative Joel Kleefisch (R – Oconomowoc), the bill passed the Senate on a voice vote and was concurred by the Assembly on a voice vote.  It is Act 356.

Governor Walker has made protecting the citizens of Wisconsin a top priority.  In 2014, he signed Acts 321, 322, and 323 into law.  This bipartisan legislation enhanced protections for victims of domestic violence.  In the 2015-17 biennial budget, Governor Walker reinforced his commitment to ending domestic abuse and assisting its victims by increasing domestic violence abuse grants by $5 million, a 50 percent increase in state funding.