Policy Priorities
Domestic violence is a systemic issue, impacting individuals, families, and their communities and societal culture as a whole. State-level policies and action are essential to changing the social conditions that can lead to violence, and providing an effective response once it has occurred.
Our policy work combines strategic leadership, where we center solutions to the impacts of domestic violence, with strategic allyship, where we stand in solidarity with allied causes. We are committed to advancing solutions that promote safety and healing with a holistic approach. The Partnership has been instrumental in the passage, enactment, implementation and enforcement of strong, comprehensive legislation and public policies that address a range of domestic violence issues. In 2023-2024, our policy work focuses on:
- Funding and Program Requirements
- Prevention
- Housing & Homelessness
- Economic Justice
- Addressing the Criminal Legal System
- Advocacy at the intersections: supporting policy change to advance reproductive justice, promote immigrant justice, support Native communities, and end gun violence.
Learn More in Our Policy Agenda
This year, our priority legislation includes:
Victims of Crime Act Funding Advocacy: VOCA provides funds for an array of critical services and programs that support Californians after they have experienced a crime which includes domestic violence service providers, Rape Crisis Centers, legal assistance, human trafficking services, a range of options to address survivor homelessness, and other vital services. (Learn more)
SB 1126 (Min): clarifies requirements for child abuse mandated reporters. Under SB 1126, mandated reporters will no longer be compelled to refer families to Child Protective Services solely on the basis that a child has witnessed domestic violence. (Read press release)
Funding & Program Requirements
Domestic violence service providers need adequate and stable funding in order to fully serve their communities. We work to ensure that funding is available and easily accessible for all providers.
Prevention
Domestic violence is not inevitable and can be prevented before it occurs. Our policy work focuses on reducing systemic factors and cultural beliefs that can lead to violence, and enhancing the protective factors that strengthen communities and lessen the likelihood of violence and abuse. This work includes supporting community-based work and healthy relationship education.
Housing & Homelessness
Survivors and their families deserve safe, stable, and affordable housing. When survivors do experience homelessness, housing discrimination, and unaffordable housing, our state’s systems must respond in ways that address their specific needs.
Economic Justice
Economic stability is central to healing for survivors and their families and can protect against violence from ever occurring. Our policy work strives to create opportunities for survivors to experience stability and thrive financially, as well as collaborative work with social justice partners to increase the economic well-being for all Californians. This work includes strengthening our social safety net programs CalWORKs and CalFresh, increasing paid leave policies and benefits for survivors and families, and addressing the negative impacts of economic abuse on survivors’ stability.
Addressing the Criminal Legal System
Survivors deserve the right to access safety, support, and resources without being required to engage with our criminal legal system unless they choose to do so. Recognizing that many survivors do not want to engage with this system and the harms that many experience when forced to do so, we support the development of alternative approaches to survivor safety and efforts to reduce systemic reliance on the criminal system to address domestic violence. For survivors who do choose to engage with the criminal legal system, we strive to ensure they receive equitable, appropriate responses.
Advocacy at the intersections: supporting policy change to advance reproductive justice, promote immigrant justice, support Native communities, and end gun violence
Survivors’ identities are intersectional, and the work to end domestic violence must include work across social justice movements. Our efforts to create a world free of oppression where all people are able to thrive are deeply connected.
Learn More and Get Involved
Support Our Policy Work
The decisions made in Sacramento and Washington DC directly impact domestic violence survivors and programs. Our ability to advance public policies relies upon private donations and membership dues. Become a member and support our work! If you have any questions, please contact the Policy Team at policy@cpedv.org.
Become a Member
When you join our Coalition, you gain access to our policy advocacy community! No matter where you’re starting—as a new member who has yet to visit the Capitol, or a seasoned advocate who has attended lots of legislative meetings—we’re here to present learning opportunities, provide calls to action, and hear your input to ensure that our policy work reflects a responsive, integrated approach combining services and social change.
Subscribe to Our Mailing List
Stay updated on our latest policy accomplishments and receive calls-to-action for supporting key legislation.
How Do We Determine Our Policy Agenda?
Partnership staff gathers input from our coalition’s membership about priority needs through policy surveys, topic-specific listening sessions, and monthly regional and statewide calls. We work closely with our Policy Advisory Council to analyze input from the membership and develop our two-year policy agenda, which is then approved by our Board of Directors.
The Partnership’s Policy Advisory Council is a robust and diverse group of subject-matter experts and policy advisors who are best poised to provide guidance on the many challenging and complex policy issues the Partnership addresses on the issues impacting all survivors, including those from marginalized communities. In addition to assisting with the development of our 2-year agenda, they also assist with analyzing all domestic violence-related bills introduced in the legislature.
Tools & Resources
The following tools and resources will help you effectively engage in policy efforts.
- Find additional policy information and Partnership publications in our resource library.
- Learn the rules for non-profits engaging in advocacy work with Bolder Advocacy. Bolder Advocacy’s trainer-attorneys provide workshops, resources, and free technical assistance to demystify nonprofit advocacy laws. Their goal is to help you navigate nonprofit advocacy rules and become confident advocates. Bolder Advocacy provides free technical assistance to organizations navigating their rights to participate in and fund advocacy. Please contact them with any questions at 1-866-NP-LOBBY (866-675-6229) or advocacy@afj.org.
- Public Charities Can Lobby: Guidelines for 501(c)(3) Public Charities 501(c)(3) public charities can influence legislation. This fact sheet explains how organizations can maximize their lobbying under Federal tax rules.
- Nonpartisan Activities: May your 501(c)(3) Participate? 501(c)(3)s should make sure their activities don’t influence the outcome of any candidate elections. This flowchart helps (c)(3)s figure out if their activities are permissible.
- Election Checklist for 501(c)(3) Public Charities helps 501(c)(3) organizations engage in advocacy activities related to elections (like voter registration and get-out-the-vote), and still remain nonpartisan.
Our Work toward Racial Justice – Holding Ourselves Accountable: View our infographic with each Partnership team’s contributions.
