Governor Abbott signed the Natalia Cox Act into law that would allow protections and notices for adult victims of domestic abuse, stalking, harassment, and terroristic threats. 

According to the bill signed by the Governor, when police respond to a call by someone who is a victim of stalking, harassment, terroristic threats, or family abuse, police must give them a written notice of their legal rights to file criminal charges. The notice will also include their legal rights on how to break leases without pay and give them information and contacts of organizations and agencies victims can go to and reach out for help. 

According to the Natalia Cox Act website, “The brochure will educate victims on their legal rights and list resources available which will include organizations for assistance, protective orders, and how to exit a lease and move to safety.”

This law applies to both police officers and campus officers that are responding to calls of domestic violence, abuse, stalking, harassment, and terroristic threats. The new law would allow swifter aid to victims since police responding to the call will hand them out.  Additionally, the same will be required of those in the medical field who treat patients for injuries related to domestic abuse.

The law came up as a response after a young woman named Natalia Cox was killed in her apartment after she had already been threatened days before. Cox unsuccessfully tried to get out of her lease. Texas law allows domestic violence victims the ability to get out of their lease without paying if they have an emergency protective order. She could not get an emergency protective order from a judge because cases were backlogged. Thus she could not provide written information to her landlord as to why she needed to break her lease. 

Cox went out on a date with a man who ended up threatening to shoot her if she did not open the door when he tried to come into her apartment. Cox and her roommate tried to get out of the lease, but they had no written information to provide. It was going to cost them two months’ rent and other fees piled on top of that, according to KVUE. Days later she was shot and killed by the same man.