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Committee advances felony‑stalking bill for minors after testimony from victims and legislators
Summary
The Judiciary Committee voted to sponsor LSO 78, elevating certain stalking against minors to felony status; the measure drew victim testimony urging stronger penalties and lawmakers discussed defining electronic means and whether to add fines.
The Judiciary Committee voted to sponsor a bill draft (LSO 78) that would increase penalties for stalking of minors in certain circumstances and make stalking against a minor by an adult a felony in specified situations.
LSO attorney Chris Fuller explained the draft would amend the existing stalking statute to treat stalking committed against a person under age 18 by someone 18 or older as a felony when particular aggravating circumstances are met. The committee discussed several possible drafting enhancements, including a monetary fine provision and whether to add an explicit list of electronic communications (text, social media, artificial‑intelligence‑generated content, e‑mail) to codify modern harassment vectors.
Parents and victims who spoke during public comment urged a tougher statute, citing long‑running harassment cases and difficulties getting enforcement. One online witness described decades of cyberstalking and called for stronger penalties and better investigative resources.
Lawmakers debated whether to include an explicit monetary penalty for felony stalking or instead preserve judicial discretion; an amendment to add a $10,000 fine was proposed and briefly considered. Following discussion, the committee adopted an amendment narrowing the draft to require an adult offender (18+) committing stalking against a minor and later passed the sponsorship motion on a roll call (committee tally recorded in the transcript). LSO will incorporate drafting edits and circulate updated language for further consideration.
