Victims of violence in dating relationships will have new protection when a law goes into effect this July.

Gov. Tom Vilsack signed a bill Friday that provides measures to protect individuals in an intimate relationship who have suffered violence from their abusers.

Nancy Robertson, public policy coordinator for the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, said under the previous law, individuals had to be in a specific type of intimate relationship to get a protective order from their abuser. This court order prevents an abuser from coming in contact with a victim.

Robertson said the victim must have been living with or married to his or her abuser at some point during the relationship. The individual also qualified for protection if the couple had a child.

The new legislation will allow any individual in an intimate relationship to seek a protective order.

Robertson said 14 individuals who couldn’t get protective orders because they didn’t fall into one of the categories have died since 1990.

“A lot of women that need services fit into the other categories,” Robertson said. “Everybody that I’ve spoken to about it is really glad that we have finally taken care of this problem.”

Under the new law, judges can send individuals convicted of assault to a batterer’s education program, where the abusers, especially younger and newer abusers, learn about violence prevention and anger management, Robertson said.

Iowa is the 33rd state to enact legislation that includes dating relationships within relationship violence legislation, she said.

The bill does not protect victims of violence in business relationships or casual social relationships, however.

Sen. Johnie Hammond, D-Ames, said it is difficult to apply the same standards to casual relationships that are applied to intimate relationships.

“In the case of a casual relationship there is another crime, and that crime would be assault or perhaps rape, but there is a difference from assault within a marriage or people living together,” she said. “It’s a subtle difference.”

The new bill benefits victims of dating relationship abuse by acting as a deterrent of violence, she said.

Protecting younger individuals from violence within intimate relationships was another focus of the bill.

“This really does help young people between the ages of 16 and 24,” said Sen. Maggie Tinsman, R-Davenport.

Tinsman said the bill passed unanimously in the Senate, where the feeling was that young people should be protected as well as adults from violence and abuse.

“I think it’s time we finally say to our young people that you also can expect in Iowa to have a safe relationship with people, that it won’t be condoned to be violent,” Tinsman said.