Dear Friends,
Over the last decade, approximately 1,500 Pennsylvanians have lost their lives to domestic violence. The exact number of fatalities remains difficult to determine because the Commonwealth lacks a comprehensive system to accurately track these deaths. The limited information we do have is cobbled together by advocates, journalists, and agencies relying on publicly reported deaths. They are doing this work to prevent future deaths, but this should not be left to guesswork or incomplete records.
Forty-five states have passed substantive legislation to prevent domestic violence deaths. Only Pennsylvania, Idaho, Wyoming, Arkansas, and Rhode Island lack a Domestic Violence Fatality Review process.
I introduced House Bill 2018 to establish a mandatory, statewide review process so Pennsylvania can move from reacting to domestic violence deaths to preventing them; allowing us to better understand how systems interact with victims and perpetrators, so we may identify where improvements are needed, prevent future tragedies, and strengthen support for survivors.
A Domestic Violence Fatality Review program convenes experts from law enforcement, the courts, health care, and victim advocacy to identify gaps in Pennsylvania’s domestic violence prevention system and recommend practical reforms to prevent future tragedies and better protect survivors. You can view my remarks here.
On January 28, the House Judiciary Committee advanced my Domestic Violence Fatality Review bill out of committee. Unfortunately, it did so on a party-line vote.
Just one day before the bill was scheduled to run, Gun Owners of America changed its position from neutral and urged opposition, claiming the review board would create a “centralized data-analysis apparatus” that could later be used to support gun control measures. They speculated that the board’s findings might be used to characterize firearm access as a risk factor, promote red flag laws, recommend firearm removal policies, or expand prohibited-person categories.
This bill does none of those things.
Domestic Violence Fatality Review Boards exist in 45 states, red and blue alike. Their purpose is straightforward: examine cases, identify systemic gaps, and recommend strategies to prevent future deaths. They do not pass laws. They do not seize firearms. They do not create new criminal penalties. They review tragedies to help us prevent the next one.
Pennsylvania already uses this model. Our Commonwealth operates a Child Death Review Program, that analyzes preventable child deaths to improve policy and practice. Applying the same evidence-based approach to domestic violence fatalities is both reasonable and responsible.
I am disappointed that outside pressure shifted what should have been a bipartisan effort to protect victims and prevent fatalities. This legislation is about prevention, not politics. It is about learning from loss so fewer families endure it in the future.
I remain hopeful that when this bill comes before the full House, members on both sides of the aisle will focus on its purpose: saving lives.
This bill has received strong support from the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence and its 59 member programs across the Commonwealth. It is also backed by respected organizations here in Montgomery County, including Laurel House and the Women's Center of Montgomery County. These organizations work on the front lines every day, and they know that fatality reviews are lifesaving.
In conversations with my office, Women’s Center Executive Director Maria Macaluso emphasized just how critical these reviews are to strengthening our systems and preventing future tragedies:
“Through these reviews, we find our greatest tools for preventing future violence. There is much to be learned from looking at the offender's actions and the vulnerabilities they may have played upon, not only in the victim's life but in our systemic response to the escalating risk posed by the offender.
‘For example, in the Elizabeth Shea murder in April 2024, her estranged husband accessed her home by pushing the window air conditioning unit into the home to gain access. We know now, when working with high-risk survivors, to work with police to look for vulnerable access points in the home.
‘If we are able to take what we learn and improve our ability to assess and respond to risk, as well as expand the resources we can offer to future victims, we can and will save lives.”
That is exactly what this legislation is about: learning from tragedy so we can prevent the next one.
The bill is expected to move to the House floor next month, and I remain hopeful it will continue forward to the Senate.