PHOENIX — Legislation has been signed that will extend the length of time orders of protection will remain effective before they expire.
After passing through both chambers of the Arizona Legislature, House Bill 2604 was signed into law this week by Gov. Doug Ducey.
The bill extends the effective duration of an emergency protection order to seven calendar days after being issued by a judge. Regular orders of protection can now remain effective for two years -- rather than one -- from the time they're served to the defendant.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe at home, and in the unfortunate case where there is a victim of crime, they should have the right to privacy and isolation from the offender," the governor said in a statement.
The legislation additionally allows any judge or justice of the peace in counties with a population of fewer than 150,000 to issue emergency protection orders by telephone after the courts are closed.
Shante Saulsberry, the founder of Janice's Women's Center in Phoenix, spoke in support of HB 2604 and said its provisions were needed to expand support for victims seeking safety from their abusers.
Saulsberry said she once was a victim of domestic violence and recalled how isolated she felt as she attempted to get into a safer environment.
"I was scared, I was alone, I was uneducated on government support, and no one to advocate for me," Saulsberry told lawmakers before HB 2604 was passed.
According to the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence, at least 86 people in Arizona died last year in domestic-related incidents. In 2020, there were up to 102 domestic violence-related deaths across the state.
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