SB276 - Domestic Violence Protection and Services

• Strengthens criminal penalties for domestic violence offenses (first, second, and third degree) with mandatory minimum sentences and doubled sentences for violations of protection orders.

• Establishes mandatory arrest policies and requires law enforcement to provide victim assistance, written incident reports, and immediate notice of legal rights and remedies to domestic violence victims.

• Creates and transfers domestic violence shelter certification authority from the Office of Prosecution Services to the Department of Economic and Community Affairs and establishes a Domestic Violence Trust Fund to support certified centers.

• Enhances protection order enforcement with electronic registries, inter-agency communication requirements, and provisions allowing warrantless arrests for violations; requires courts to provide victim safety considerations at bail hearings.

• Establishes a capital improvement grant program for certified domestic violence centers, with annual needs assessments conducted by the Department of Economic and Community Affairs in coordination with the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence.