Legislative Session
For those who work to stop family violence, purple stands as the color we wear to draw attention to our efforts. When we wear purple or use it on materials, it instantly reminds all of us that we are not alone in our work to end violence at home. With this sense of activism, TCFV challenges itself and Texas to Go Purple, taking family violence seriously.
Texas continues its commitment to addressing and stopping family violence. This year’s 82nd Session of the Texas Legislature proved to be no exception. Legislative partners eagerly and overwhelmingly supported measures that require batterer accountability and safety for victims. From full funding for family violence programs to changes to the Penal Code and the Family Code, our legislature made significant headway in addressing many of the challenges facing victims of family violence and their families.
We salute this robust response. We also pay tribute to the many survivors, advocates, allies and partners from the judiciary, prosecution, law enforcement, education and everyday folks that made our legislative priorities their priorities. Although TCFV showed solid and careful leadership at the legislature, thousands of voices from communities throughout Texas sounded a clarion call to action during the 82nd Session and the legislature answered.
In the year leading up to a legislative session, TCFV follows a deliberate process in developing its substantive legislative priorities. In our interactions at the capitol and across the state, we solicit ideas, information and feedback from the entirety of the coordinated community response to family violence in Texas. We look to those doing the life-saving work to inform our approach to legislative changes. TCFV also convenes a Public Policy Committee comprised of a diverse group of those involved in addressing family violence response in our state, including victims, family violence advocates, law enforcement, prosecutors, educators, the judiciary and others. Using their feedback and guidance, TCFV then works to vet a long list of ideas, with the intent to focus during session on those measures that will be most impactful and that can be accomplished. The following agenda represents the culmination of this consensus-driven preparation.
Appropriations
In this session’s extraordinary budgetary climate, TCFV intensified our focus on full funding for family violence programs. The Legislature recognized the need for family violence services and made a strong commitment to shelters and resource centers in communities across Texas. The 82nd Legislature appropriated $51.4 million for the biennium for these life-saving programs.
Additionally, the Legislature appropriated $1.25 million for Battering Intervention Prevention Program (BIPP) funding. This represents a victory and a continuing point for advocacy: in the first version of the budget, BIPP funding faced complete elimination. Through concentrated efforts, TCFV accomplished a restoration of 50% of funding for BIPPs and will continue to advocate for full restoration.
