Sponsored by Vainieri Huttle, Lagana, Mosquera, Wimberly, Jimenez, Pintor Marin & Mukherji

(TRENTON) – Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Joseph Lagana, Gabriela Mosquera, Benjie Wimberly, Angelica Jimenez, Eliana Pintor Marin and Raj Mukherji to provide rental and lease protections for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking was approved Thursday by an Assembly panel.

“Life is already hard for domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. They should not have to fear eviction because of circumstances they did not create,” said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen). “This can help reassure victims that they will not be further punished for consequences brought on by their abusers.”

Under current law, a tenant may terminate a lease prior to its expiration if he or she provides appropriate documentation and written notice that the tenant or a child of the tenant faces an imminent threat of serious physical harm from another person if the tenant remains on the premises.

Under the bill (A-1706), a landlord may not terminate a tenancy, fail to renew a tenancy, or refuse to enter into a rental agreement based on the tenant’s or applicant’s or a household member’s status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or based on the tenant or applicant having terminated a rental agreement pursuant to the “New Jersey Safe Housing Act.”

(TRENTON) – Legislation Assembly Democrats Gordon Johnson, Valerie Vainieri Huttle and Benjie Wimberly sponsored to establish a sexual assault training course for law enforcement officers received final legislative approval Thursday and now heads to the governor’s desk.

“We cannot tolerate a culture in which victims of sexual assault lack confidence in the men and women responsible for responding to them,” said Johnson (D-Bergen). “Developing a course so that officers can receive training on dealing with sexual assault appropriately will encourage reporting and reinforce our state’s commitment to justice for every resident.”

The bill (A-2167) would require the Division of Criminal Justice to develop or approve a training course and curriculum for law enforcement officers on handling, investigation and response procedures for reports of sexual assault. Under the bill, the curriculum must be made available to all the law enforcement agencies in the state. Lastly, the bill would require all law enforcement officers to attend an in-service program on the handling of sexual assault matters every three years.

“There is no excuse for law enforcement officers putting victims of sexual violence through further suffering with insensitive questioning or treatment that causes a sense of shame. That kind of behavior discourages many victims from coming forward and allows attackers to commit the same offense repeatedly without consequence,” said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen). “Sexual assault is a crime, and this bill will help law enforcement officers – the men and women whose job it is to protect and serve New Jersey residents – better perform their duties.”

“Many victims of sexual assault fail to report their abuse out of embarrassment and fear,” said Wimberly (D-Bergen/Passaic). “It is important not only for the well-being of the victim but for the integrity of the investigation that law enforcement officers know how to handle these cases. Having officers who are properly trained to assist these victims can ensure that victims get the help they need and officers are able to get the information needed to bring their perpetrators to justice.”

The bill was approved 72-0 by the Assembly, and 38-0 by the Senate.

Legislation Assembly Democrats Gordon Johnson, Valerie Vainieri Huttle and Benjie Wimberly sponsored to establish a sexual assault training course for law enforcement officers gained the approval of an Assembly committee on Thursday.

"We cannot tolerate a culture in which victims of sexual assault lack confidence in the men and women responsible for responding to them," said Johnson (D-Bergen). "Developing a course so that officers can receive training on dealing with sexual assault appropriately will encourage reporting and reinforce our state's commitment to justice for every resident."

The bill (A-2167) would require the Division of Criminal Justice to develop a training course and curriculum for law enforcement officers on handling, investigation and response procedures for reports of sexual assault. The division then would make the course and curriculum, to be reviewed at least every two years, available to all New Jersey law enforcement officers.

(TRENTON) - Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Jamel Holley and Joann Downey to strengthen protections for survivors of sexual assault was signed into law on Monday.  

The new law (formerly bill A-4207) modifies the scope of the "Sexual Assault Survivor Protection Act of 2015," as well as the enforcement of protective orders under the provisions of that act that help protect victims from offenders who committed actual or attempted nonconsensual sexual contact, sexual penetration, or lewdness. 

Vainieri Huttle was the lead sponsor of the original law, which expanded the availability of restraining orders to a greater number of sexual assault survivors. Prior to that law, in order to pursue a protective order, a victim must have had a previous or existing domestic relationship with the offender, such as a spousal or dating relationship, or had to file a criminal complaint against the offender.  

"This new law will augment the landmark Sexual Assault Survivors Act to make it work even better for victims, bringing them greater protection and peace of mind," said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen). "These changes will help tighten the law and eliminate any vagueness that might stand in the way of helping a victim secure protection."

Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Valerie Vainieri Huttle, Jamel Holley and Joann Downey to strengthen protections for survivors of sexual assault received final legislative approval unanimously from the General Assembly on Monday.  

The bill (A-4207) modifies the scope of the "Sexual Assault Survivor Protection Act of 2015," as well as the enforcement of protective orders under the provisions of that act that help protect victims from offenders who committed actual or attempted nonconsensual sexual contact, sexual penetration, or lewdness.  

Vainieri Huttle was the lead sponsor of the original law, which expanded the availability of restraining orders to a greater number of sexual assault survivors. Prior to that law, in order to pursue a protective order, a victim must have had a previous or existing domestic relationship with the offender, such as a spousal or dating relationship, or had to file a criminal complaint against the offender.  

"This bill will augment the landmark Sexual Assault Survivors Act to make it work even better for victims, bringing them greater protection and peace of mind," said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen). "These changes will help tighten the law and eliminate any vagueness that might stand in the way of helping a victim secure protection."

Legislation sponsored by Assemblywoman Valerie Vainieri Huttle to strengthen protections for survivors of sexual assault was approved by the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Monday.

The bill (A-4207) modifies the scope of the "Sexual Assault Survivor Protection Act of 2015," as well as the enforcement of protective orders under the provisions of that act that help protect victims from offenders who committed actual or attempted nonconsensual sexual contact, sexual penetration, or lewdness.  

Vainieri Huttle was the lead sponsor of the original law, which expanded the availability of restraining orders to a greater number of sexual assault survivors. Prior to that law, in order to pursue a protective order, a victim must have had a previous or existing domestic relationship with the offender, such as a spousal or dating relationship, or had to file a criminal complaint against the offender.  

Erin Delmore, NJTV News

Thanks to a new app, victims of sexual assault can speak up without saying a word.

“Well when you tap the button, it gives you a number of steps on how to report. If you were sexually assaulted one of them would help you identify diffrent resources that could help you. If you wanted to come and speak to someone at our hotline program it will hook your right into our hotline. If you are in an experience someplace where you are feeling unsafe and would like some support you can program in individuals names and send something to them like, ‘I need help’, ‘come and get me,'” said YWCA Bergen County CEO Helen Archontou.

The smartphone app from healingSPACE, the Bergen County YWCA’s sexual violence resource center, is the first of its kind in the state — and it’s free. Advocates say it will connect survivors with physical and mental health services, confidentially, at all hours.

(TRENTON) - Legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Craig Coughlin, Pamela Lampitt, Troy Singleton, Daniel Benson, Valerie Vainieri Huttle, and Gabriela Mosquera to bolster protections against cyber-harassment for domestic violence victims in New Jersey cleared its first legislative hurdle on Monday.

The bill (A-1946), sponsored by Coughlin, Lampitt, Singleton, Benson, Vainieri Huttle and Mosquera, would add cyber-harassment to the list of crimes considered domestic violence under the "Prevention of Domestic Violence Act of 1991."  

In doing so, the bill would allow temporary and permanent restraining orders on the grounds that the person seeking the order is a victim of cyber-harassment.

Permits Nurses, Physician Assistants to Authorize Rape Kit Examinations for Minors

A bill Assembly Democrats Valerie Vainieri Huttle and L. Grace Spencer sponsored to protect minors when it appears that they have been sexually assaulted is now law.

"Time is of the essence when it comes to possible sexual assault cases, especially those concerning minors," said Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen). "This new law will relieve the backlog created by a loophole in previous law and place the power back in the hands of the victim to receive help for their abuse."

(TRENTON) - The Assembly gave final legislative approval on Monday to legislation sponsored by Assembly Democrats Valerie Vainieri Huttle and L. Grace Spencer to protect the interest of minors if it appears they have been sexually assaulted. The bill passed 73-0. 

"Time is of the essence when it comes to possible sexual assault cases, especially those concerning minors," Vainieri Huttle said. "This legislation will relieve the backlog created by a loophole in the law as well as place the power back in the hands of the victim to receive help for their abuse."