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Committee advances bill to expand protective orders for burglary victims
Summary
House Bill 2596 would allow victims of burglaries committed with intent to commit additional felony offenses to seek protective orders regardless of their relationship to the offender; the committee reported the bill favorably after a district attorney described a local case highlighting the gap.
The Senate Committee on Criminal Justice voted to report House Bill 2596 favorably after testimony that current law can leave burglary victims without protective orders even when the burglar intends or attempts additional felony conduct.
Senator Zaffarini laid out the measure, citing House author Representative Will Metcalfe and saying the House passed HB 2596 unanimously. Brett Ligon, district attorney of Montgomery County, described a case in which a burglary of a residence included an attempted sexual assault; the offender was convicted of a first‑degree felony but the victim was not eligible under current law for a protective order that would otherwise be available in stalking or assault cases. Ligon said the bill would let victims of burglary with an intent to commit felony offenses seek protective orders regardless of relationship to the offender and would standardize protective‑order provisions across the code.
The committee voted 4–0 to report the bill favorably; the clerk recorded four ayes and no nays. The chair recommended the bill for the local, noncontested calendar.
