Sacramento, CA — On Friday, Assemblywoman Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) introduced AB 2010, the Zero Tolerance for Domestic Violence Act, legislation that will ensure that victims of domestic violence receive the shelter and services they need.

“To achieve an end to domestic violence, we must commit resources to educate families and to provide life-saving services to victims,” said Hancock.

Domestic violence occurs every 9 seconds in the United States. Children who witness abuse in the home are more likely to commit violent acts or become victims of domestic violence. In Alameda County alone, over 150 individuals have died due to domestic violence since 1996 and more than 9,000 domestic violence related calls are made every year to the County’s four domestic violence shelters.

“While we have come a long way in helping victims of domestic violence, we must do whatever is necessary to ensure an end to the destructive cycle of violence that touches people of all economic, social, and ethnic backgrounds,” said Hancock.

To most effectively combat domestic violence, services must be provided through a coordinated approach. AB 2010 will authorize the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to increase fees on marriage, birth, and death records by up to $2 to fund and increase the effectiveness of existing programs of prevention, intervention, and prosecution of domestic and family violence. The fees will generate more than $200,000 a year for county domestic violence programs.

AB 2010 is modeled after SB 425 (Torlakson), a similar effort in Contra Costa County that was signed into law in 2001.