Bill > A04899

This bill mandates that law enforcement officers responding to domestic violence incidents must conduct a "lethality assessment" as part of the standardized domestic incident report form. A lethality assessment is a set of questions designed to identify victims at high risk of being killed by their abuser. The bill requires the state to develop this assessment and provide training to officers on how to administer it, with all officers needing to complete this training by January 1, 2029, and it will be incorporated into new officer training thereafter. The assessment questions, which include inquiries about weapons, threats, strangulation, jealousy, unemployment, and stalking, are to be clearly designated on the report form. After administering the assessment, officers must inform the victim of the results, refer them to local domestic violence programs, and provide hotline numbers. If the assessment indicates a high risk of serious harm, officers are directed to follow specific procedures, including potentially filing for an extreme risk protection order. If a victim cannot provide information for the assessment, officers must note this and still attempt to refer the victim to resources. The bill also makes conforming changes to existing laws regarding domestic incident reports and their use in certain contractual situations.