H.B. 135: Cohabitant Definition Amendments

What the bill does

Did not pass both chambers; the bill was filed on March 6, 2026.

It would have clarified the definition of cohabitant in the battered-person mitigation statute and in the domestic violence and protective order laws. It never reached a floor vote: a House committee returned it to the Rules Committee, and it was filed on March 6, 2026.

This bill addresses the definition of a cohabitant.

• Clarifies the definition of cohabitant for the battered person mitigation statute
• Clarifies and amends the definition of cohabitant for domestic violence and protective order statutes
• Defines terms related to the definition of cohabitant
• Makes technical and conforming changes

The description and list come from the bill's own long title as recorded by the Legislature; the paragraph above is the Ledger’s summary. Read the official bill. The Ledger takes no position on it.

Subjects: Domestic Violence · Crimes · Judicial Operations · Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice · Protective Orders/Stalking Injuctions

How it moved

1. January 20, 2026 · House1st reading (Introduced)Rules Committee
2. January 28, 2026 · Houseto standing committeeLaw Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee
3. March 3, 2026 · HouseHouse Comm - Recommends Returned to RulesLaw Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee
4. March 6, 2026 · Housefiledfile for bills not passed

Steps as the Legislature recorded them; clerical and fiscal-staff entries are left out. Numbers such as 54-14-7 are yeas, nays and absent.

Fiscal note

The Legislative Fiscal Analyst's note on H.B. 135 found no material cost or revenue effect for the state, local governments or businesses.

Bill overview

Sponsor: Carol S. Moss

Senate floor sponsor: Todd Weiler

Legislature passed-list status: Not available in the saved metadata.

Passed-list membership is not a finding that a bill was signed or took effect. A bill absent from that list is not necessarily pending or defeated.

Latest recorded action

filed
Action date: March 6, 2026

The full step list is above. Find the bill in the official session list for status, hearings and committee records.

Recorded floor votes

No floor-vote records for this bill and session are available here. This does not mean no vote occurred; consult the official bill record.

Ledger coverage

No Ledger stories with an explicit source link to this bill and session are listed here.