HARTFORD, Conn. — Governor Ned Lamont signed Senate Bill 1091, otherwise known as "Jennifers" Law," into law Monday night.
Introduced in February, SB 1091 will add coercive control to the definition of domestic violence as well as put child safety as a priority in custody cases by making domestic violence the first factor to consider, a lawmaker said.
The bill was proposed by State Sen. Alex Kasser, who says coercive control includes psychological abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse, and legal abuse.
The bill passed almost resoundingly in the state House of Representatives a few weeks ago, with a final vote of 134 to 8.
"This legislation will save lives, plain and simple. The changes in this bill will be a lifeline to the more than a third of all Connecticut women who will experience some form of intimate partner violence or stalking in their lifetime. It's the result of years of input and experience and advocacy to give victims the tools to leave abusive relationships and hold their abusers accountable," Senator Mae Flexer (D-Killingly) said at the time the bill passed in the house.
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