Ness-Sponsored Legislation to Form Domestic Violence Task Force Passes House

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – State Rep. Suzanne Ness, D-Crystal Lake, is sponsoring legislation to create a Domestic Violence Task Force to conduct a comprehensive study of current domestic violence laws in Illinois and look for ways to improve protections for victims of violence.

“Too often we hear tragic stories of domestic violence that make us wonder how a violent situation occurred and what could have been done to prevent it,” said Ness. “Creating a Domestic Violence Task Force allows us to work to ensure that all victims of domestic violence have access to the resources they need and to study the current laws and practices surrounding domestic violence situations, find solutions to fix any gaps in the system and provide more protections and support for victims of violence.”

Ness is a co-sponsor of House Bill 3317, which creates the Domestic Violence Task Force in Illinois to review and identify gaps in the process, operations and enforcement of domestic violence laws. The Task Force is required to submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly with the findings of their review. National and Illinois domestic violence data finds that on average nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner and one in three women and one in seven men have experienced some form of physical violence from an intimate partner, according to the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Ness’ bill recently passed unanimously out of the House of Representatives and is awaiting consideration in the Senate.

“We must put an end to domestic violence and do everything we can to be sure we are improving our state’s response to this prevalent issue,” said Ness. “This measure was taken to ensure our current policies meet the real needs of survivors and to support domestic violence professionals that will help these families navigate breaking out of the cycle of violence. I am proud to support the creation of this Task Force, so we can do everything in our power to prevent future acts of domestic violence.”