U.S. Attorney Pirro and Mayor Bowser Announce New Legislation to Provide Additional Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence

WASHINGTON - Today, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro and Mayor Muriel Bowser, and District public safety leaders announced the Protecting Victims Act of 2026, new legislation aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence. The legislation includes measures to strengthen protections for survivors, enhance accountability measures against offenders, and protect privacy and safety. Although violent crime is down in the District year-to-date, domestic violence-connected assault with a dangerous weapon charges have been increasing, making this bill a timely intervention to protect District residents and reverse a concerning trend.

"Even as overall crime declines, the persistence of domestic violence-and the tragic rise in domestic violence homicides-underscores the urgent need for stronger enforcement tools," said U.S. Attorney Pirro. "Too often, these cases reflect repeated abuse, where prior incidents or pending charges did not stop further harm. The Protecting Victims Act will help ensure that the most dangerous offenders can be identified, detained when appropriate, and held fully accountable under the law. My office remains committed to working alongside our law enforcement and community partners to intervene earlier and prevent violence before it escalates. With these additional tools, prosecutors and judges will be better positioned to protect survivors and prevent further tragedy."

"This legislation is about making sure that survivors are protected and that their safety and privacy are respected. It's also about making sure that when someone needs help, they can trust that help will be there, and that when someone breaks the law, there are clear and consistent consequences," said Mayor Bowser. "With the Protecting Victims Act, we want victims and survivors to know that we are here for them, and we want abusers to know that they will face swift and certain consequences."

The Protecting Victims Act of 2026 builds on ongoing efforts across the District to close gaps in enforcement and ensure that court-issued protections are meaningful, enforceable, and responsive to the realities survivors face.

Key provisions of the Protecting Victims Act of 2026 include:

Strengthening Enforcement of Court Orders to Protect Victims

• Holds offenders accountable for repeated violations of temporary and civil protection orders by punishing repeated violations as felony offenses.
• Improves enforcement of stay away and no contact orders by providing courts with additional tools to enforce serious violations of release conditions, including a presumption that they should securely hold a defendant when they commit a new crime against the same victim.
• Strengthens consequences for violations of post-conviction stay away and no contact orders in misdemeanor intrafamily offenses and misdemeanor sex offenses by making a violation of these orders a felony with penalties consistent with other felony cases.

Strengthening Pretrial Detention of Domestic Violence Offenders

• Provides courts with improved tools to protect victims of domestic violence by detaining abusers who harm them prior to trial, including:
  • Creating a new hold for individuals charged with an intrafamily offense who were, at the time of the offense, released pending trial or sentencing in another intrafamily offense case.
  • Giving courts the ability to detain offenders charged with an offense against an intimate partner who have a history of domestic violence or were subject to a protection order at the time of the offense.
  • Giving courts the ability to detain offenders charged with a repeat violation of a protection order or felony threats against an intimate partner.

Enhancing Accountability for Domestic Violence Offenders

• Updates language in the District's kidnapping statute to more clearly state what the prohibited conduct is and to capture criminal conduct that the community would recognize as kidnapping. The new statute also provides multiple tiers of liability to address varied factual scenarios of different severity.
• Creates a felony version of unlawful entry to address circumstances in which an offender who has unlawfully entered a private dwelling or property and then commits an assault or a crime of violence. Currently, DC law provides no criminal liability when a person unlawfully enters the home of another without intent to commit another crime, or refuses to leave that home, and then commits an assault or a crime of violence.
• Creates an enhancement for sentencing purposes that applies to violence and threats where the offender knew or consciously disregarded a substantial and unjustifiable risk that the victim was pregnant.
• Creates a new offense to address circumstances in which the defendant committed certain offenses in the presence of a child, or where the child witnessed the offense, including by sight, sound, or otherwise.

Protecting Victim and Survivor Privacy and Safety

• Amends the Metropolitan Police Department's public disclosure requirements by providing protection to individuals who are willing to come forward to law enforcement to report that they have been a victim of or witness to a crime.

"As violent crime continues to decrease, domestic violence related incidents are leading to an increase in Assault with a Dangerous Weapon offenses, and account for 30% of this year's homicides," said Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Jeffery Carroll. "MPD has redoubled outreach to domestic violence survivors District-wide. We want all DC residents to know the signs of domestic violence and know the resources offered by MPD and our partners. Most importantly, we want every survivor to know they are not alone."

Throughout April, MPD has led outreach efforts to highlight domestic violence prevention and resources at more than 20 events across all eight wards, including apartment buildings, places of worship, retail stores, and community centers.

The DC Victim Hotline is available at 844-4-HELP-DC (844-443-5732) and is a 24 hours a day 7 days a week chat- and text-based resource and crisis line for all crime victims in the District of Columbia. Visitors to the hotline receive strength-based and trauma-informed services and referrals in over 200 languages.

Residents and visitors are reminded: if you are in immediate danger, call 911.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro highlighted new efforts underway at the U.S. Attorney's Office, including the creation of the Violent Intimate Partner Emergency Response (VIPER) team, which prioritizes high-risk domestic violence cases and seeks to secure victims' grand jury testimony as early as possible. This initiative ensures that, at the earliest stages following an arrest, a prosecutor and victim-witness specialist are engaged to support survivors, strengthen evidence collection, and help build cases that do not rely solely on victim testimony. By identifying high-risk cases-including those involving repeated abuse, strangulation, or the presence of children during the offense-VIPER connects victims with time-sensitive resources and supports stronger, more effective investigations. These enhancements are designed to better protect victims, hold offenders accountable, and prevent cases from falling through gaps in the system.