Bill > B26-0671

This bill, the Protecting Victims Amendment Act of 2026, aims to strengthen protections for victims by enhancing penalties for certain offenses and expanding eligibility for victim support programs. Key provisions include increased penalties for repeat offenders of intrafamily offenses, mandating a minimum one-year prison sentence for those with prior convictions, and prohibiting early release or probation until this minimum is served. It also introduces a mandatory five-day detention for individuals charged with an intrafamily offense if they were already on release for another intrafamily offense at the time of the new offense, and expands the criteria for when a judicial officer must consider detaining a defendant, particularly for offenses against intimate partners or when protection orders are in place. The bill further establishes new definitions and penalties for different degrees of kidnapping, with increased prison terms for more severe offenses, and amends laws related to unlawful entry to include enhanced penalties if certain violent crimes or stalking occur while unlawfully on someone's property. Additionally, it introduces enhanced penalties for crimes committed against pregnant victims and for intrafamily violence witnessed by a child, and expands the Address Confidentiality Program (ACP) to include victims and witnesses of criminal offenses, protecting their addresses from public disclosure. Finally, the bill repeals certain provisions from the Secure D.C. Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024, making other provisions permanent.