House Status:
Senate Status:
Senate Status:
Minutes for SB150 - Committee on Judiciary
Short Title
Enacting housing protections for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking or stalking.
Minutes Content for Tue, Mar 19, 2019
Chairperson Patton opened a hearing on SB150.
Natalie Scott reviewed SB150 for the Committee. (Attachment 1) She stood for questions.
Senator Dinah Sykes testified to the Committee in support of SB150 stating "it is time to extend housing protections to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking and stalking". (Attachment 2) She stood for questions.
Senator Oletha Faust-Gideau testified to the Committee in support of SB150 stating "focusing on defending survivors' rights to maintain rental housing is particularly crucial because women living in rental housing experience domestic violence at three times the rate of women who own their homes. Further, domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness among survivors and their families." (Attachment 3) She stood for and answered questions.
Amanda Myers testified to the Committee in support of SB150 stating "if we could move clients in to safe housing more quickly and keep them from being evicted a a result of domestic violence, we would free up space in our shelter for other women and children fleeing violence and abuse, victims we have had to turn away". (Attachment 4) She stood for questions.
Ed Jaskinia testified to the Committee in support of SB150 stating "it provides fair and reasonable language to protect those individuals who have been, or in danger of being the victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or stalking". (Attachment 5) He stood for questions.
Julie Donelon testified to the Committee in support of SB150 stating "currently, victims face an array of consequences for breaking their lease because their home is no longer safe. If they request to be absolved from their lease or disclose why they are not safe in the home, the landlord or property manager may deny this request or may evict them tarnishing their rental history and making it more difficult for them to find safe housing in the future". (Attachment 6) She stood for and answered numerous questions.
Detective Shannon Leeper testified to the Committee in support of SB150 stating "there is a limit to the service protection that we [Lenexa Police Department] provide. In most instances the suspect knows where the victim resides and the victim is terrified of the suspect returning to inflict additional harm". We have "worked previously with victims who wished to relocate from a rental property but could not due to the extensive cost". (Attachment 7) She stood for and answered numerous questions.
John Shively testified to the Committee in support of SB150 stating "rules similar to those in SB150 already exist for federal housing. Based on the information I was able to find, 33 states have provisions that protect survivors of domestic violence in housing, many of which contain similar provisions." (Attachment 8) He stood for questions.
Written testimony in support of SB150 was presented to the Committee by: Valorie Carson, United Community Services of Johnson County (Attachment 9); Sein Kina, Keep Girls Safe (Attachment 10); Greg O'Halloran, Westwood Chief of Police (Attachment11); Michelle McCormick, YWCA of NE Kansas (Attachment 12); and Sara Rust-Martin, Kansas Coalition against sexual & domestic violence (Attachment 13).
Patrick DeLapp testified to the Committee neutral to SB150 providing a review of the landlord's perspective when leases are broken without a "reasonable termination fee". (Attachment 14) He stood for questions.
No testimony in opposition to SB150 was presented to the Committee.
When all questions from the Committee were answered, Chairperson Patton closed the hearing on SB150.
