By Amanda Kay, JD, Program Attorney, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges

Welcome to the new electronic format for legislative news from the Resource Center on Domestic Violence: Child Protection and Custody! We hope this new format and delivery method will result in a more useful product for you. As we are still in the early stages of this new format, any feedback is welcome. Please direct any comments or inquiries to Amanda Kay, Program Attorney, at akay@ncjfcj.org.

This update covers state legislation passed during the second quarter of 2016, and the primary focus was criminal statutes for domestic violence and related offenses. Protection orders remained a focus, as did a variety of measures seeking to prevent domestic violence and assist victims. Other measures included revisions of civil sanctions or consequences for domestic violence offenders, confidentiality protection efforts for victims, legislation regarding firearms and domestic violence, and amendment or enactment of statutes concerning families and children and domestic violence. The table below lists the states included in this update and the general topic(s) addressed.