ROCKFORD, Ill. – To keep our community safe, legislation spearheaded by the City of Rockford and championed by State Rep. Maurice West, D-Rockford, that would establish the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission was signed into law today.
“I am encouraged that the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission is being signed into law,” said West. “This commission will focus on issues specific to every region and will help survivors and prevent victims across our state.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, domestic violence accounts for 15% of all violent crime in the United States, and in Illinois, 42% of women and 26% of men have been harmed by an intimate partner in their lifetime. The commission will establish regional review teams by judicial court, conduct domestic violence fatality reviews and advise the Governor and General Assembly on domestic violence prevention policy.
“The new DVFRT legislation is a critical tool in our work to prevent domestic violence related homicides,” said Jennifer Cacciapaglia, Executive Director of Rockford’s Mayor’s Office of Domestic and Community Violence Prevention. “By allowing us to examine situations, identify gaps in our system response, implement changes and improve outcomes, we can make our community safer. I’m grateful to Representative West for his leadership in ensuring this important legislation was introduced and passed.”
Senate Bill 685 is effective immediately.