HB50 Update

HB 50 is the Dating Violence Protection Act, which would extend the ability to obtain restraining orders against an unmarried partner.  The bill passed the house 61 to 11, with 3 absent or abstaining.  Here's the information on the vote breakdown.  If your rep voted against, you might consider contacting to ask them for their reasoning.  This bill is important for protecting victims of dating violence, which is just as serious as domestic violence and deserves the same protections.   Contact your Senator to urge them to vote for this bill.


HB 50 Dating Violence Protection Act Seelig / Bramble Amended 3rd Reading Final Passage Yeas 61 Nays 11 N/V 3 Closed
Yeas - 61

Anderegg, J.	Anderson, Jerry	Anderson, Johnny	Arent, P.	Barlow, S.
Bird, J.	Briscoe, J.	Brown, D.	Brown, M.	Chavez-Houck, R.
Christofferson, K.	Cosgrove, T.	Cox, S.	Cunningham, R.	Dee, B.
Draxler, J.	Duckworth, S.	Edwards, R.	Eliason, S.	Fisher, Janice
Froerer, G.	Gibson, F.	Hall, C.	Handy, S.	Hemingway, L.
Hutchings, E.	Ipson, D.	King, B.	Knotwell, J.	Last, B.
Layton, D.	Lifferth, D.	Lockhart, R.	Mathis, J.	McCay, D.
McIff, K.	McKell, M.	Menlove, R.	Moss, C.	Nielson, J.
Noel, M.	Perry, L.	Peterson, J.	Peterson, V.	Pitcher, D.
Poulson, M.	Powell, K.	Ray, P.	Redd, E.	Romero, A.
Sanpei, D.	Seelig, J.	Snow, V. L.	Stanard, J.	Stratton, K.
Webb, R. C.	Westwood, J.	Wheatley, M.	Wilcox, R.	Wiley, L.
Wilson, B.

Nays - 11

Barrus, R.	Christensen, L.	Greene, B.	Greenwood, R.	Ivory, K.
Kennedy, M.	Nelson, M.	Oda, C.	Roberts, M.	Sagers, D.
Tanner, E.

Absent or not voting - 3

Dunnigan, J.

Grover, K.

Hughes, G.

HB50 Dating Violence Protection Act

From the Salt Lake Tribune:

The proposed "Dating Violence Protection Act" would give adults and emancipated minors the right to ask judges for protective orders against people they are dating.

Utah code makes protective orders available for spouses and people who have lived together, but not for people who are dating and never cohabited.  

This is the 8th year this bill has been run, and likely due to influence from the Eagle Forum, it's been killed every year.  Gayle Ruzicka apparently feels that allowing teens to get protective orders would be frivolous.

HB50 has passed the House Judiciary Committee with a favorable recommendation, and now moves on to the House.  Contact your representative and encourage them to vote for HB50.

If you don't know who your representatives are, go here, and scroll to the bottom of the page.