Legislative Action Center

Look up your elected officials, find out about bills related to domestic violence, take action on CPEDV’s current legislative issues. Take Action Now!  

Legislative Priorities

CPEDV is a leader in the effort to create and influence California legislation that affects the lives of domestic violence survivors and their children.  CPEDV's members work closely with our Policy team to develop a legislative agenda by analyzing the impact of legislation, writing letters of support and opposition, testifying at hearings, and working behind the scenes to encourage legislation that helps survivors of domestic violence, and stop the bills that jeopardize their safety.

2010 Legislative Priorities

Budget Advocacy

Last year, the State Legislature and Administration showed strong bipartisan support for lifesaving domestic violence services throughout the state by supporting SBX3 13 (Alquist), which partially restored state funding for domestic violence shelters statewide in the 2009-10 budget.

Our proposal this year is similar to last year’s bi-partisan budget proposal. We are asking for $20.4 Million for the purpose of appropriating those funds to the California Emergency Management Agency for domestic violence shelters. The 20.4 million represent the amount Governor Schwarzenegger line-item vetoed in July 2009.

Read CPEDV’s Budget Request Letter

Sponsored Legislation

MARRIAGE LICENSE FEES: SB 662 (Yee)

• This bill would require local governments to increase the fee collected for domestic violence shelters by $10 dollars for a total of $33.
• Marriage License Fees fund essential services that are at the core of our state’s work to end domestic violence: emergency shelters, crisis lines, victim advocacy, counseling and comprehensive victim assistance.

BACKGROUND

• In 1976, Senator Presley helped establish the first DV shelters in California by carrying SB 91 which secured funding for shelters by establishing a fee tied to the issuance of marriage licenses. This fee has not been increased since 1994.

VITAL RECORDS: AB 1883 (Evans)

• This bill allows county boards of supervisors to authorize a $4 fee increase of certain vital records. $2 of the fee increase to be allocated for purposes related to domestic violence prevention, intervention and prosecution. The remaining $2 will be allocated to non-shelter based domestic violence programs that primarily focus on serving domestic violence victims and their families.

BACKGROUND

• In 2001, SB 425 was passed, which authorized Contra Costa County to increase the fees for marriage licenses, marriage certificates, birth certificates and death records by up to $2 dollars. This fee was directed to be used toward oversight and coordination of domestic violence prevention, intervention and prosecution efforts.  Since this measure passed, other counties have been granted this authority through separate legislation including Alameda, Solano, Sonoma and the City of Berkeley.

This bill seeks to address the need of counties to provide funding for their anti-violence programs or plans and support local domestic violence non-profits that do not qualify for marriage license fees.