A bill aimed at protecting abuse and gang violence victims is one step closer to becoming a law.
Senate Bill 77, penned by State Senator Andre Jacque, recently passed the Senate Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety on Wednesday on a vote of 5-3.
Under current law, entering someone’s residence with the intent to steal is punishable with a Class F felony, which carries a maximum penalty of $25,000 and up to 12½ years in prison, with increased penalties based on circumstances. Entering the same location with the intent to commit bodily harm is generally only chargeable as a misdemeanor.
As a result, district attorneys are often faced with having to pursue lesser punishments for attempted batterers than for robbers.
The measure aims to correct the inequity in current law by elevating the penalty for breaking into someone’s property with the intent to commit bodily harm to a Class F felony.
This legislation is a reintroduction of 2023 Senate Bill 809, which passed last session on a bipartisan 24-8 vote.
Sen. Jacque noted, “Everyone deserves to be safe in their own home, and certainly the same legal penalties which are imposed against an individual for entering and threatening the physical possessions of a person should apply to a person threatening the actual physical safety of a renter or homeowner.”
The bill will now go before the full Senate for a vote before moving to the governor’s desk for a signature.
