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INSERT LETTERHEAD <br /> DATE <br /> The Honorable Brian Maienschein <br /> Chair, Assembly Judiciary Committee <br /> 1020 N Street, Room 104 <br /> Sacramento, CA 95814 <br /> RE: Support Letter SB 331 (Rubio) Piqui's Law: Keeping Children Safe From Family <br /> Violence <br /> Dear Chairman Maienschein: <br /> On behalf of[name of organization], I am proud to support Senate Bill 331 - Piqui's Law, by <br /> Senator Susan Rubio, which would further protect victims and children in family court. <br /> California children are being forced into unsafe, unprotected relationships with dangerous <br /> parents because of uninformed family court decisions. Children, like Piqui, continued to be <br /> brutally murdered, and this needs to stop. <br /> Piqui's Law is named after a 5-year-old boy who was murdered by his father on April 21, 2017. <br /> Ana Estevez, the mother of Piqui, fought hard in the California family court to protect her child <br /> from her abusive ex-husband and father of Piqui. Despite her efforts,the family court refused to <br /> implement appropriate safety measures, which led to her son's tragic death. <br /> Senate Bill 331 will help protect victims and children of domestic violence and child abuse by <br /> requiring the development of critical training and reporting for judicial officers, banning <br /> dangerous court-ordered reunification camps, limiting testimony about abuse to those who have <br /> experience in that specific area of abuse. <br /> In March of 2022, President Joe Biden signed the reauthorization of Violence Against Women's <br /> Act (VAWA), which included new groundbreaking provisions, known as Kayden's Law, to <br /> improve child safety laws in family court. Under this legislation, states are urged to adopt child <br /> custody and domestic violence statutes to further prioritize child safety as outlined in VAWA. <br /> SB 331 will move California toward becoming eligible for several million in VAWA STOP <br /> grant funding. <br /> The number of children murdered by a divorcing or separating parent continues to rise in <br /> California and across the nation. Since Piqui's preventable tragedy, nearly 40 more California <br /> children have been killed, with ten reported since November 2021.1 It is time to strengthen <br /> California laws to protect victims and children in family court. <br /> For these reasons, [name of organization] is proud to support SB 331 (Rubio) and respectfully <br /> asks for your"AYE"vote when this bill comes before your committee. <br /> Sincerely, <br />