COLUMBUS (AP) — A bipartisan bill in the Ohio House would allow victims of dating violence to seek a protective order against an alleged perpetrator.
The bill would update current law which only recognizes violence between spouses, family members, those living together or family members for the purpose of seeking a protective order.
Backers say Ohio and Georgia are the only states that don’t cover victims of dating violence under domestic violence laws.
The proposal would give victims of dating violence access to domestic violence shelters and require the Ohio Attorney General’s Office to include information about the issue in its victim’s bill of rights pamphlet.
The bill’s sponsors are Reps. Emelia Strong Sykes (D-Akron) and Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville).