This bill amends the existing law regarding the State's domestic violence public awareness campaign to include information on recognizing indicators of coercive control, which is a form of abuse. Specifically, it mandates that the campaign address the recognition of coercive control as defined in current law, which includes behaviors such as isolating victims, monitoring their movements, and threatening harm to loved ones. This addition aims to enhance public understanding of the complexities of domestic violence and provide better support for victims.

Furthermore, the bill expands the campaign's outreach by requiring information to be available in multiple languages, as recommended by the Advisory Council on Domestic Violence, rather than just English and Spanish. It also establishes an annual reporting requirement for the Director of the Division on Women in the Department of Children and Families to update the Governor and Legislature on the campaign's activities and accomplishments. These changes are intended to improve awareness and accessibility of resources for victims of domestic violence.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 52:27D-43.36