S429 - 2025 Public Safety Act. (SL 2025-70)

Overview: Section 18 of S.L. 2025‑70 (Senate Bill 429) creates the felony crime of habitual domestic violence. A person is guilty of habitual domestic violence if that person commits an offense under the misdemeanor crime of domestic violence statute, or commits an assault where the person is related to the victim by a relationship described in the misdemeanor crime of domestic violence statute, and has two or more prior convictions that include either of the following combination of offenses, with the earlier of the prior convictions occurring no more than 15 years prior to the date of the current violation:

• Two or more convictions under the misdemeanor crime of domestic violence statute.
• One prior conviction under the misdemeanor crime of domestic violence statute and at least one prior conviction involving assault where the person is related to the victim by a relationship set forth in the misdemeanor crime of domestic violence statute.

A person convicted of this offense is guilty of a Class H felony for the first offense. Subsequent convictions are punished at a level which is one offense class higher than the offense class of the most recent prior conviction, not to exceed a Class C felony.

This section becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.