HB 486 Summary (Aisha's Law)

• Strengthens domestic violence response: Requires peace officers to use evidence-based lethality assessment screening tools when responding to domestic violence incidents and mandates training on intervention techniques and victim referral to advocacy services.

• Expands emergency protection orders: Creates new authority for law enforcement to request emergency protection orders on behalf of domestic violence victims outside court hours, even without the victim's consent if the victim is incapacitated.

• Enhances aggravated murder statute: Adds provision making it aggravated murder (capital offense) if a defendant has prior felony domestic violence conviction or prior felony offense of violence against the same family/household member victim.

• Establishes prosecution guidelines and study committee: Encourages prosecutors to consider totality of circumstances in domestic violence cases and creates a Domestic Violence Prosecution Study Committee to examine dropped/amended charges and cases where victims later became homicide victims.

• Appropriates $150,000 for training: Provides funding to the Attorney General for police officer training on domestic violence response and lethality assessment procedures.