October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a time to increase awareness about signs of abusive behavior and to amplify survivors' voices. In California, 34.9% of women and 31.1% of men experience intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many were unable to leave their homes and faced dangerous situations. Many of these situations are continuing today. As Assembly Budget Chair and an advocate for family violence prevention, I made sure the 2021/22 budget allocated:

• $100 million to supplement federal funding supporting a variety of services for domestic violence and sexual violence survivors
• $15 million in prevention funding for domestic and sexual violence
• $1.3 million to the state's Domestic Violence Training & Education Fund

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please call one of the hotlines below:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 OR text "START" to 88788,
• Asian Women's Shelter at 877-751-0880,
• Community United Against Violence serving LGBTQ people at 415-333-4357
• San Francisco Women Against Rape at 415-647-7273,
• Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA) in San Mateo County at 800-300-1080,
• La Casa de las Madres at 877-503-1850 OR text at 415-200-3575.

Domestic violence knows no income level, racial strata, or gender. It can happen to anyone. There is no excuse for domestic violence.