Pro Tem Treat Passes Second Survivor’s Act Bill off Senate Floor After Governor’s Veto

Treat: The Survivor’s Act protects victims of domestic violence 

OKLAHOMA CITY – Senate Pro Tem Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, today passed Senate Bill 1835 off the Senate Floor, which modifies language in the previously vetoed Survivor’s Act legislation.

Before Governor Kevin Stitt vetoed the previous legislation, Senate Bill 1835 was already moving through the legislative process as a trailer bill to help bolster the Survivor’s Act. The language of the original Survivor’s Act bill has been added to this legislation.

Modifications in the bill include clarifying language but doesn’t change the original intent.

The measure passed off the Senate floor 38-0.

Pro Tem Treat said the legislation passed today was already in the works.

“The Survivor’s Act protects victims of domestic violence,” Pro Tem Treat said. “Senate Bill 1835 was already going through the legislative process before the other bill was vetoed. My colleagues and I thought it was vital to get this passed. I don’t know if there was a miscommunication or something else that led to the original bill being vetoed, but we collectively believe it is an important piece of legislation to help those who are suffering from abuse. I thank Representative Jon Echols and everyone else who had a hand in making this happen. I am confident it will now be signed into law.”

In April, the Senate overwhelmingly voted to override the governor’s veto of the Survivor’s Act.

The measure directs a court to consider as a mitigating factor that the person has been abused physically, sexually, or psychologically by the person’s sexual partner, family member or member of the household, the trafficker of the person or other individual who used the person for financial gain when being sentenced.

According to recent statistics released by the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, Oklahoma ranks as one of the nation’s highest states for domestic violence homicides.

To read the information from the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board, click here.