Standing alongside city and federal public safety officials at an 11 a.m. briefing Friday, Mayor Muriel Bowser rolled out a new proposal she says is designed to better protect domestic violence survivors across Washington, D.C.
The measure, called the Protecting Victims Amendment Act of 2026, is Bowser’s latest public safety push and was formally announced at that morning event. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro joined the mayor as she framed the bill as a way to tighten survivors’ privacy protections and give authorities stronger tools to hold abusers accountable. City officials said the proposal is meant to bolster privacy, increase accountability for offenders and improve victim services citywide, as reported by WJLA. They offered few concrete details on the bill’s text, promising more information for stakeholders and the D.C. Council in the coming days.
What the Protecting Victims Amendment Act Would Change
Officials are pitching the legislation as a supplement to existing court tools, including temporary protection orders, civil protection orders and the District’s anti-stalking orders. In its 2025 annual report, the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants noted that the courts reported 4,726 new temporary-protection-order filings and 4,815 civil protection-order filings in 2024, along with 1,204 new anti-stalking-order filings. Those numbers highlight how heavily D.C. already leans on existing protections and help explain city leaders’ push for added privacy and enforcement tools. According to officials, the amendment is meant to build on what is already in place and lower the risk survivors face as their cases wind through the system.
Why It Matters For D.C. Residents
Bowser and Pirro cast the proposal as part of a broader strategy to make the city safer while ensuring survivors can turn to the system without exposing themselves to more harm. The changes are aimed at giving caseworkers, courts and police clearer legal pathways to protect victims while cases move forward, according to coverage by WJLA. Advocates and D.C. Council members are expected to scrutinize the language closely once the bill is circulated and the legislative process begins.
Specific wording, enforcement details and a formal Council timeline were not released at the briefing. Officials said a draft bill would be shared with stakeholders soon. For residents who need help now, the District’s victim services agencies maintain a 24/7 hotline at 844-4-HELP-DC (844-443-5732), according to the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants. This story will be updated as Bowser’s office and the Council publish the full legislation and set hearing dates.
