Policy Bulletin
Latest Policy Actions and Developments
Immigration:
June 18, 2025
Her Justice endorsed the federal Health Equity and Access Under the Law For Immigrant Families (HEAL) Act. This act aims to restore access to health coverage for immigrants and supports survivors of gender-based violence by making “battered individuals” eligible for Medicaid and CHIP, removing the five-year waiting period for these programs and eliminating rules that can tie a survivor’s coverage to their abuser. By restoring and expanding coverage, the bill promotes healthier families, more equitable health systems, and a stronger economy.
June 3, 2025
Her Justice joined other immigration advocacy groups in a letter to Senators opposing the House Reconciliation Bill (H.R.1), which seeks to divert massive funds to immigrant detention, deportation, and border militarization. It also aims to strip access to programs that connect immigrant and U.S.-born families, children, and communities to basic resources.
May 27, 2025
Her Justice submitted testimony for the New York City FY26 Executive Budget hearing held by the New York City Council’s Committee on Immigration relating to the needs of immigrant survivors of gender-based violence and domestic violence/intimate partner violence.
May 2, 2025
Her Justice signed on to public comments prepared by immigration advocacy organizations opposing the Department of Homeland Security’s proposed changes to immigration forms (including the N-400, I-485 and I-589, Form I-192) that would require disclosure of extensive information about family members, previous email addresses, phone numbers and all social media account information.
May 1, 2025
Her Justice filed a declaration in the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights v. Department of Homeland Services lawsuit, a Public Citizen litigation. This action was taken in response to the Department of Homeland Security’s abrupt decision earlier this year to dismantle key oversight offices, including those investigating civil rights violations in immigration enforcement.
Intimate Partner Violence:
June 4, 2025
Her Justice, alongside other domestic violence advocacy organizations, contributed to an amicus brief in the Lively v. Wayfarer Studios LLC lawsuit, which highlights how “DARVO” (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender) tactics in retaliatory lawsuits are often used to deter survivors from speaking out.
April 4, 2025
Her Justice signed on to a letter by NYSCADV supporting the release under the New York Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act of two domestic violence survivors from Niagara County, Ashley Berger and Chamia Johnson, who are currently serving long prison sentences for crimes that were directly related to their victimization.
February 26, 2025
Her Justice supported a letter prepared by a statewide coalition of organizations dedicated to providing culturally specific services to immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. The letter calls on New York State legislators to allocate $23 million through the Office of Victim Services to ensure culturally and linguistically responsive services remain accessible to immigrant survivors in the face of potential cuts in federal funding.
February 12, 2025
Her Justice, along with a coalition of other advocates in New York City, issued a new memorandum in continued support of a State bill (S.1353/Cleare, A.3038/Rosenthal) designed to provide relief from “coerced debt” to survivors of domestic violence, elder abuse, human trafficking, and abuse by caretakers.
December 12, 2024
Her Justice worked with the NYC Supervised Visitation Working Group to prepare a letter advocating for increased funding for supervised visitation for New York Family-Court-involved children who have been exposed to family abuse.
Child Support
February 12, 2025
Her Justice continued our advocacy for a broader menu of options for parents seeking to establish child support. We prepared a memo in support of S.245/Persaud, A.3753/Reyes, which would pilot an expedited settlement conference process for families who can agree on child support rather than requiring them to engage in traditional litigation in the backlogged Family Courts.
June 3, 2024
Her Justice signed on to a letter spearheaded by the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence and joined by domestic violence providers, survivors, and attorneys, providing comments regarding the establishment of proposed statewide rules for the use of mental health professionals in child custody and visitation proceedings.
January 2023
Her Justice was joined by law firm partners and coalition partners in two letters to Governor Hochul urging support for developing and resourcing an expedited settlement process for child support in the Family Courts as an effective and achievable solution to improving access for families.
January 2023
Her Justice was joined by pro bono partner firms Fried Frank and Orrick in a letter to Governor Hochul advocating for reform to the New York child support system and the Family Courts. The letter urged the Governor to develop and resource an option for parents seeking agreement on undisputed child support to engage in an expedited settlement conference process in the Family Courts, rather than spending months or years litigating cases and clogging the courts unnecessarily.
October 31, 2022
Her Justice met with counsel and others in the New York State Governor’s office to discuss our legislative proposal to pilot an administrative conference process for straightforward, undisputed child support and the need for child support reform generally in the State. Her Justice continues to strategize about this advocacy and engage with coalition partners who have been supporters on the need for reform.
Divorce
June 18, 2025
Her Justice testified for the NYC City Council General Welfare Committee, proposing revisions to Int. 1175-2025 (CM Menin) concerning representation for domestic violence survivors in divorce cases.
March 26, 2025
Her Justice submitted comments concerning proposed changes to the New York contested matrimonial rules related to certain forms and eligibility for appointed counsel.
Courts and Other Allyship:
June 9, 2025
Her Justice signed a letter along with other New York advocates urging the passage of S.2431 (Sen. Hoylman-Sigal) / A.3925 (AM Lavine), which would ensure privacy for judicial name change proceedings under Article 6 of the Civil Right Law as with all other name changes in New York (including for marriage, divorce, or adoption).
May 16, 2025
Her Justice submitted written testimony for the FY26 Executive Budget hearing held by the New York City Council Committee on General Welfare urging the Council to reaffirm and enhance resources to women living in poverty and for essential legal services.
April 30, 2025
Her Justice joined other New York legal providers in a letter to leaders of the New York State Legislature urging the allocation of $20 million towards the expansion of supervised visitation services statewide. The letter highlighted how the lack of this critical resource harms children and families and creates unnecessary costs for the courts caused by delayed proceedings.
April 14, 2025
Her Justice submitted a memorandum in support of the No Cap Act A.1100 (Bores)/S.3829 (Hoylman-Sigal), which would amend the State Constitution to repeal the cap on the number of Supreme Court justices that can serve in judicial districts.
April 7, 2025
Her Justice and other legal services organizations in New York signed on to a letter to Justice Zayas, Chief Administrative Judge of the New York State Unified Court System, urging the court system to move more fully to the NYSCEF system for uniform electronic filing after learning that another electronic filing system, EDDS, would not be available for certain Family Court case types.