Summary — HB 5550 (Domestic Violence — Remedies)
Bill number: HB 5550
Title: Domestic Violence — Remedies
Introduced: March 14, 2025
Current status (per record): Placed on Calendar — Order of 3rd Reading (Jan 5, 2025)
Chief House sponsor (filed by): Rep. Theresa Mah (additional House and Senate sponsors listed below)
Related/companion bill: HB 4184
Note: The bill text itself was not included in the materials provided. This summary therefore (1) reports the official procedural history and sponsors that are available, and (2) describes the likely scope, typical provisions, affected parties, and potential impacts that a bill with this title and committee referrals would ordinarily address. Where specific provisions are not in the record, they are identified as illustrative possibilities rather than factual statements about HB 5550.
Purpose and intent (as suggested by title and referrals)
The title “Domestic Violence — Remedies” indicates the bill is intended to modify or expand legal remedies available to survivors of domestic violence. Given referrals and amendments noted in the record (Housing; Executive; Criminal Jurisprudence; Joint Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding), the bill likely addresses a mix of civil, criminal, housing, and fiscal elements designed to improve protection, relief, or services for victims.
Procedural history (selected highlights)
- 2024-02-09: Filed with Clerk by Rep. Theresa Mah; First Reading; Referred to Rules Committee
- 2024-03–04/2024: Multiple House committee referrals (Housing), House floor amendments filed and adopted (House Floor Amendment No. 1 adopted 2024-04-11)
- 2024-04-17: Passed House — Third Reading (107–0)
- 2024-04-18: Arrived in Senate; referred to Assignments; Sen. Robert Peters listed as chief Senate sponsor
- 2024-05-15: Senate Committee Amendment No. 1 filed, referred, and adopted; Executive Committee reported do-pass as amended (7–4)
- 2024–2025: Multiple calendar placements and rule deadlines recorded; referred to Joint Committee on Finance, Revenue and Bonding (2025-01-21)
- 2025-04-07: Read first time in chamber; referred to Criminal Jurisprudence
(Record contains additional sponsor additions and calendar actions; see official legislative record for full chronology.)
Key topics the bill likely addresses (based on title + committee referrals)
Because the actual bill language is not in the materials provided, the list below identifies provisions commonly found in “domestic violence — remedies” legislation and that are consistent with relevant committee referrals (Housing, Criminal Jurisprudence, Finance):
- Civil remedies and orders of protection (duration, enforcement mechanisms, cross-jurisdiction recognition)
- Criminal penalties or procedures tied to domestic violence incidents (charging, enhanced penalties, victim protections in criminal process)
- Housing protections for survivors (eviction protections, emergency transfers, prohibitions on denying housing due to protective orders)
- Confidentiality and record-sealing for survivors (address confidentiality programs, sealing of certain court records)
- Civil liability and damages (ability to sue for injunctive relief, compensatory or statutory damages, attorney fees)
- Funding or fiscal impacts for victim services, court implementation, or law enforcement training (referral to Finance committee suggests potential budgetary provisions)
Who would be affected
- Survivors of domestic violence seeking civil relief, housing stability, or criminal protections
- Respondents/defendants subject to protective orders or criminal charges
- Courts, law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim services providers (implementation, enforcement, training needs)
- Landlords/housing authorities and employers (if statutory housing or workplace protections are included)
- State and local budgets (if the bill creates or expands funded services or creates administrative costs)
Potential impacts and issues to watch
- Practical effects on survivors: expanded access to protection, easier housing stability, or faster enforcement, depending on provisions adopted.
- Enforcement and resource needs: new remedies often require funding for courts, clerks, law enforcement training, and victim services.
- Legal and due-process considerations: changes to procedures for issuing, enforcing, or extending orders of protection may raise constitutional or evidentiary questions.
- Fiscal impact: referral to finance suggests there may be appropriations or mandate costs; check fiscal note.
Next steps / where to find the bill text
- The bill is recorded as placed on the 3rd reading calendar and referred to Criminal Jurisprudence (most recent procedural entries). The next formal actions could include committee hearings, floor votes, or concurrence with amendments.
- To evaluate precise scope and legal effect, consult the full bill text, the latest printed amendment(s), and the fiscal note on the legislature’s official website or contact the committee clerk(s) for Criminal Jurisprudence, Housing, and Finance.
If you’d like, I can:
- Retrieve and summarize the bill’s actual text and amendments (if you provide the text or allow me to fetch it), or
- Draft a short list of questions for committee staff to clarify the bill’s specific remedies and fiscal impacts.
