In the near future, I plan to reintroduce “Robin’s Law,” legislation to establish a statewide domestic violence offender registry in Pennsylvania. This proposal, similar to a new, unanimously adopted Tennessee law, is designed to identify repeat domestic violence offenders, improve victim safety, and provide law enforcement and the public with critical information about individuals with documented patterns of domestic abuse.
 
Domestic violence is not always a one-time offense. Too often, individuals repeatedly engage in violent conduct against intimate partners or family members, escalating in severity over time and leaving multiple victims in their wake. While Pennsylvania maintains robust criminal penalties for domestic violence offenses, there is currently no statewide mechanism to track and publicly identify persistent domestic violence offenders once they reenter the community.
 
This bill would honor the memory of Robin Shaffer, a Quakertown woman who was brutally murdered by her estranged husband on June 15, 2004. Unfortunately, Robin’s story is far from unique. In 2024 alone, 104 victims died from domestic violence in Pennsylvania, according to statistics from the PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
 
This legislation would establish a publicly accessible domestic violence offender registry maintained by the Pennsylvania State Police. Individuals who have been convicted of qualifying domestic violence–related offenses and who demonstrate a documented pattern of repeat abuse would be required to register. The bill would also impose criminal penalties for failure to register or update required information, and would require notification to victims and law enforcement upon initial registration and any subsequent changes of address.
 
I invite my colleagues to join me as co-sponsors of this important public safety legislation. Together, we can take a measured, evidence-based step to protect victims, prevent future violence, and ensure Pennsylvania is not lagging behind other states in addressing repeat domestic abuse.