House Bill 1004 critical to safety of thousands of North Dakotans

North Dakota legislators should move Home Invoice 1004, as the protection of hundreds of North Dakotans will depend on it. If handed, HB 1004 would offer further funding to the general public well being division of the Division of Well being and Human Companies. This division helps fund the 20 home violence/sexual assault (DV/SA) disaster and advocacy packages throughout North Dakota which can be in determined want of elevated funding. I’m writing to you as the manager director of CAWS North Dakota, the statewide coalition representing these packages.

DV/SA companies present wrap-around security, therapeutic, and prevention companies. This consists of round the clock disaster response, shelter/housing, counseling, accountability/schooling for many who have used violence, crime sufferer advocacy, sexual assault response/advocacy, supervised visitation and trade, prevention/outreach, authorized companies, and transitional housing/self-sufficiency assist.

In the latest yearly information out there, North Dakota DV/SA packages served 5,417 new victims of home violence and 1,169 new victims of sexual assault. The lifetime influence of those crimes will attain almost 18% of North Dakota’s inhabitants (94,660 girls and 44,495 males).

State funding for a lot of of our DV/SA companies has remained comparatively flat —and in some years decreased — all through the previous 10 years, although the necessity for DV/SA companies has elevated. The COVID-19 pandemic, elevated price of residing, and lack of main sources resembling Lutheran Social Companies solely added gasoline to the hearth for disaster facilities that have been already at capability.

With out the extra funding HB1004 would offer, DV/SA disaster facilities will stay in disaster mode themselves, which means fewer DV/SA victims will obtain the protection and assist they want, fewer abusers will likely be held accountable for his or her actions, and any probability of getting forward of the issue by evidence-based prevention efforts is nearly non-existent.

I invite North Dakotans to affix me in contacting our legislators and inspiring them to move HB 1004 for the well being and security of North Dakota households. Collectively, we will construct a violence-free North Dakota.