A Kentucky lawmaker is drafting a bill that could change the state’s protective order law.
Republican Representative Stephanie Dietz of Kenton County plans to bring the bill that would expand protections for survivors of domestic violence to the 2025 legislative session.
The legislation would modify the state’s current protective order law to allow those who have endured coercive control to qualify for a protective order.
The legislation defines coercive control as, “a pattern of behavior that you see over a period of time that unreasonably interferes with a person’s free will, their personal liberty, and trying to control them with that pattern of behavior.”
Dietz said some examples of coercive control are an abuser taking control of finances, depriving someone of basic needs or necessities, threatening to hurt the victim’s children, controlling who a victim sees or talks to, or damaging property.
Dietz explained her measure would make clear that behavior that has not yet reached physical violence will also be defined as coercive control.
Under current state law, to get a protective order a perpetrator must have already physically harmed or threatened to physically harm the victim.
Dietz told WKU Public Radio that there are no socioeconomic factors that define who endures domestic violence and coercive control.
“I think the most important thing is to know that this could be happening to someone right next door to you,” Dietz said. “It’s important for us to not judge, but to keep our eyes open. We need to do more to protect victims of domestic violence.”
The 2025 Kentucky General Assembly begins in January.
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