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Domestic Violence Task Force, City of Philadelphia: Year One Report

Informational Brochures

The following brochures were developed by the Philadelphia Bar Association Family Law Section Consumer Education Committee in collaboration with the Domestic Relations Division of the Philadelphia Family Court. They are available online and at the Philadelphia Family Court at 34 South 11th Street in Philadelphia.

Also see Family Law under Issues for more resources.

Violence Against Women

Ending violence against women is a common thread that runs through much of the Women's Law Project's work. Our major violence-related initiatives include:

Governor Signs Act 78 of 2006 Establishing Additional Insurance Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence

The Women's Law Project and Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence were instrumental in the passage of Pennsylvania House Bill 1632 (Act 78 of 2006) amending the Unfair Insurance Practices Act. House Bill 1632 passed unanimously in both the House and Senate and was signed into law by Governor Rendel on July 7, 2006. The law will go into effect on September 5, 2006.

The prime sponsor of Act 78 was Representative George Kenney (R) representing parts of Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Representative Kenney became interested in this issue when in 2001, one of his constituents found herself and her children homeless after her estranged husband barricaded himself inside their home with their youngest child and set the house on fire. The insurance company filed a federal lawsuit, claiming no obligation to pay the $60,000 in property damage because the batterer deliberately torched the house, even though the wife was completely innocent. When the story received extensive press, a company executive (although not legally obligated to do so), struck a deal and settled the claim.

Domestic Violence Task Force

In September, 2003, Mayor John Street formally appointed a Domestic Violence Task Force and named Police Commissioner Sylvester Johnson and WLP Executive Director Carol Tracy as co-chairs. The Task Force includes the heads of all city agencies and leaders in the domestic violence community. The mission of the Task Force is to:

Identify gaps in service or problems with existing systems
Improve coordination among existing services;
Make recommendations to fill those gaps and enhance and improve service delivery where necessary; and
Engage the wider Philadelphia community and media in efforts to prevent family violence.

The first year of the Task Force was devoted to developing a comprehensive understanding of the unique services required by domestic violence victims (and perpetrators) once they are in “the system.” In its first three months of operation in 2004, the Task Force identified two major gaps in services for victims of domestic violence which have already received an infusion of city money. In response to the need for more shelter beds and the need to expand domestic violence hotline services, the Mayor and City Council directed over one million dollars in new funding to almost double the capacity of the domestic violence shelter (from 45 to approximately 70-80 beds) and to consolidate the four individual hotlines currently in existence into one central hotline with the addition of the full-time-equivalent of five to six hotline counselors. The Task Force is now focused on identifying and developing mechanisms to improve and coordinate delivery of services.