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Substitute for HB 839 adopted; survivors urge study of coercive control in custody cases
Summary
The subcommittee adopted a substitute for HB 839 to create a work group studying how courts handle coercive control and domestic‑violence‑related custody issues. Survivors and advocates gave emotional testimony; the bill was carried over to 2027 with a request that a letter be sent to the Access to Justice Commission.
Delegate McClure presented an amendment in the nature of a substitute for House Bill 839 to move the study on coercive control in custody cases into the Access to Justice Commission’s work and to ensure inclusion of appropriate stakeholders. The substitute narrows the bill to a measured, nonprescriptive study of how courts handle credible abuse allegations in custody disputes and how judicial systems can better support survivors while balancing child safety and due process.
Multiple survivors and advocates provided testimony describing custody cases in which coercive control and court responses led to tragic outcomes. Elise Osterweil of Mothers Reform Child Injustices read a list of children who were killed in cases she attributed to past court failures and urged a study; other speakers included Sheila Varkey of the Virginia Poverty Law Center, Jessica Hunt (a survivor), Tara McLeod and Dwight Eagle, all urging an evidence‑driven review.
The subcommittee adopted the substitute by voice vote and later moved to carry the bill over to 2027 with an instruction that the speaker write a letter to the Access to Justice Commission (and a committee on self‑represented litigants as clarified) to coordinate study work. No final statutory changes or appropriations were adopted at the hearing.
What’s next: HB 839 will be carried into the 2027 session and stakeholders will coordinate with the Access to Justice Commission and related bodies as requested by the subcommittee.
