Senator Anna Caballero announces bill to help domestic violence survivors

(KION) - Senator Anna M. Caballero, who represents California’s 12th District, has announced a bill aimed at helping survivors of domestic violence. Since the beginning of California’s stay-at home order in March, the state has seen an increased number of domestic violence and abuse reports. Caballero hopes to make the process of obtaining a restraining order a bit less complicated to keep victims of abuse more safe.

A judge can currently grant a variety of different orders to protect the victim in a domestic violence restraining order. However, there is no option available to keep the children’s school, medical and dental information from the abusive parent. This would give 3rd party institutions no authority to deny a parent’s legal right to information. 

SB 24, or Calley’s Law, would make a slight change on domestic violence restraining order forms by adding a separate checkbox. A judge could then select to allow the school, medical, and dental information of a child to be protected from the abusive parent. This bill would help clearly identify which protective order forms have additional protection and which don’t. It would also give 3rd party institutions like school and medical offices a clear court order with guidance on how to enforce the restraining orders. 

This legislation is named after Calley, a mother of three young boys who was shot and killed by her husband as she shielded her children from the bullets. She had recently left her husband and obtained a domestic violence restraining order and went into hiding. However, due to an egregious error, her husband had learned about the time and location of her medical appointment from the clinic. He arrived to wait for her in the parking lot before fatally shooting her.

“We need to honor Calley’s life and ensure that this never happens again to a person fleeing from violence,” says Senator Caballero.