HB320 Summary: Comprehensive Domestic Violence Protection Act

• Establishes consistent definitions and victim protections by adding Section 13A-6-139.1 defining "domestic violence," "dating relationship," and "victim" throughout Alabama law, and clarifying that dating relationships include engagement periods but exclude casual relationships and those ending more than 12 months prior.

• Enhances criminal penalties and enforcement by creating three tiers of domestic violence offenses (first, second, and third degree) with mandatory minimum sentences, and requiring law enforcement to provide victims with written notice of legal rights and remedies using standardized forms.

• Strengthens protection orders and law enforcement communication by requiring courts to issue non-mutual protective orders, enabling warrantless arrests based on probable cause, and mandating electronic registration and notification systems so law enforcement agencies can verify and enforce protection orders statewide.

• Transfers domestic violence shelter certification and funding from the Office of Prosecution Services to the Department of Economic and Community Affairs, establishes the Domestic Violence Trust Fund, and creates a capital improvement grant program for certified domestic violence centers.

• Establishes domestic violence fatality review teams at local, regional, and state levels to examine fatal and near-fatal incidents, provides immunity to team members, and requires agencies to collect and maintain domestic violence incident records for investigators and prosecutors.