Oregon lawmakers have approved a bill that would require communication companies to quickly respond to warrants related to domestic violence and stalking.
Kristil Krug was a Colorado mother and engineer who was killed by her husband after he impersonated her ex-boyfriend and digitally stalked her for months. Her cousin, Eugene attorney Becky Ivanoff in Eugene, previously told KLCC that Krug took steps to protect herself and her children, including going to the police.
Ivanoff said if communication companies complied with warrants faster, Krug would have known who was threatening her and might still be alive. Family and supporters are hoping to get the bill passed nationwide, starting with Oregon, and Krug’s home state of Colorado.
Sen. Floyd Prozanksi, D-Eugene, who co-sponsored HB 4045, said it would require social media companies to respond within 72 hours, and telecommunications companies within five days.
"This can in fact help other individuals that find themselves in a similar situation as she did,” Prozanski said from the Senate Floor Monday.
According to the Stalking Prevention Awareness and Resource Center, stalking increases the likelihood of intimate partner homicide by three times. About 54% of victims of completed homicides reported stalking before they were attacked.
The bill passed the House and the Senate without opposition and now heads to the governor’s desk.
