May 25, 2017

For Immediate Release

Statement of Prince George’s County Councilman Mel Franklin on Governor Larry Hogan’s Signing of Amber’s Law

Governor Scheduled to Sign Important Domestic Violence Legislation at Today’s Bill Signing

Contact: Mel@melfranklin.net

Upper Marlboro, MD – In the closing moments of the 2017 Legislative Session, the Maryland General Assembly unanimously adopted House Bill 1163 (HB 1163) (known as Amber’s Law), named after Prince George’s County resident and domestic violence victim, Amber Schinault, who was violently murdered in 2012 by her ex-boyfriend, despite having a protective order.  Today, Governor Larry Hogan will sign the legislation into law.  Amber’s Law will authorize the court to grant a domestic violence survivor’s request to require an alleged abuser to wear an electronic monitoring device as a condition of release.  Today, Councilman Mel Franklin (D-District 9), a strong advocate of the legislation, issued the following statement:

“I am truly thankful to Governor Larry Hogan for signing Amber’s Law today.  Amber Schinault’s family, friends and supporters worked tirelessly over the past several years to honor Amber’s memory by creating stronger safeguards against abuse by domestic violence perpetrators.  The Governor’s support sends a strong bipartisan message to all Marylanders that domestic violence has no place in our state or anywhere else in our world.  I urge local officials to expeditiously implement this new law so that survivors of domestic violence and the nonprofit providers who support them can utilize this important new tool in the cause of ending domestic violence.”

Amber’s Law, sponsored by Maryland Senator Susan Lee (D-District 16) and Delegate Aruna Miller (D-District 15), was endorsed by the full Prince George’s County Council.  After previous years of failing to pass, Amber’s Law cleared two committees and both houses of the General Assembly in the final hours of the legislative session.

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A copy of Councilman Franklin’s previous letter to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/franklin-ambers-law-ltr