Georgia House passes bill for family violence victims to break leases.

Victims of domestic violence would be able to break their leases without an early termination penalty, according to a bill that recently passed the Georgia House of Representatives.

The legislation, House Bill 834, would make it easier for family violence victims to escape their abusers, said Rep. Scott Holcomb, D-Atlanta.

"All too often, victims of domestic violence are asked, 'Why didn't you leave?' And often, it is because they couldn't afford to," Holcomb said in a House speech last week. "This bill makes it possible for them to leave."

The measure, sponsored by Rep. Mandi Ballinger, R-Canton, allows a tenant to terminate a residential lease 30 days after providing a landlord written notice when a judge has issued a protective order in a family violence case.

The House voted 166-0 to approve HB 834 on Feb. 28. The bill is now pending in the state Senate.

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