ALBANY — A proposed bill to create a domestic violence offender database once again failed to make it to floor of the New York State Assembly, much to the dismay of one of Western New York’s Assembly members.

Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, R-Clarence, today called on the state Assembly to allow the proposed legislation to the come to a vote. The legislation, the Domestic Violence Prevention Act – Brittany’s Law (A.1833), would create a public database to arm New Yorkers with vital information to protect themselves, similarly to the existing sex offender database.

“I am proud that today we are passing some very good bills to enhance the protections for crime victims across our state; however, I would question why are we not addressing legislation that prevents New Yorkers from being victimized in the first place,” said Corwin, as she led the debate on a 10-bill package. “We should be empowering the citizens of this state to protect themselves as well as ensuring they have every form of assistance if, God forbid, they should become a crime victim. Let’s provide this powerful knowledge to New Yorkers to prevent crimes from happening.”

Corwin has been a strong supporter of the Domestic Violence Prevention Act – Brittany’s Law, which has been passed annually in the state Senate but is yet to be brought to a vote in the Assembly despite having bipartisan support. Last year, Corwin was among legislators who started a public petition calling for an immediate vote on the bill.

Similar to the state’s Sex Offender Database, Brittany’s Law would provide both law enforcement and the public with a valuable public safety tool: an online, searchable database of violent felons. The bill was named after Geneva, New York resident Brittany Passalacqua who was only 12 years old when she and her mother, Helen Buchel, were brutally murdered by a convicted violent felon who had recently been paroled after violently assaulting his own infant daughter.

The petition can be found on Corwin’s official Assembly Website and calls on the Assembly Majority to bring the bill up for a floor vote.

Corwin said she will continue working on crime prevention as well as supporting crime victims. She was pleased to support the package of bills today which expand existing emergency services, housing, and Crime Victim Board compensation statutes, expands the legal definition of rape, and also greatly enhance measures the state is taking to study, address and prevent human trafficking.

“While these measures will do a lot to help protect the rights of crime victims, I am still concerned about preventing crimes from happening. Domestic violence across our state is too prevalent a crime; too many families are being destroyed by domestic violence and too many children are put at risk. Brittany’s Law would change that and I strongly encourage the Assembly Majority to bring this bill up for a vote this session,” said Corwin.

This story was originally published on East Niagara Post.