OLYMPIA… Another unanimous vote by the state Senate this afternoon brought the final approval of the Tiffany Hill Act. Named for the 35-year-old mother of three who was murdered by her estranged husband Nov. 26 in Clark County, the law created by Senate Bill 5149 will promote the real-time electronic notification of victims of domestic violence and similar crimes when their abuser or attacker is nearby.

“This bill was a good idea all along, and it was frustrating to watch it fall short these past two years. We needed a hero to get it through – and Tiffany Hill, who served her country with honor as a Marine, became that hero,” said the bill’s prime sponsor, Sen. Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver.

Wilson and others familiar with the tragic case are convinced that Tiffany, who was fatally shot in the parking lot of their children’s school in Vancouver, could have protected herself if she’d had access to the electronic-notification technology, which can transmit an alert to a mobile phone.

“I am still heartbroken for Tiffany’s family and friends, who miss her every day, and sad that this technology couldn’t be available to Tiffany when it likely would have saved her life. But I am so grateful for the unwavering support from so many in the community – especially the members of ‘Team Tiffany’ who testified for the bill and sent messages encouraging its passage. They made this happen, and we can all be glad for what this law will mean to victims of domestic violence going forward,” she said.

SB 5149 was passed unanimously by the Senate in 2018 and again this year, on Jan. 31. The House of Representatives gave its unanimous support March 4, after making a simple but helpful amendment; the Senate’s vote today agreed with that change and completed the Legislature’s work on the bill.

“A restraining order written on paper won’t protect victims of domestic violence or sexual assault or stalking the way this technology can. I’ve said all along that this bill needs to become law this year, and today’s vote gets it there,” Wilson said.

She expects the governor will also support the bill and sign it in a ceremony within a few weeks.