SHTC Testifies in Senate Hearing for BIPP Funding
On January 28, Kathryn Jacob, President and CEO of SafeHaven, traveled to the Texas Capitol in Austin to testify before the Senate Finance Committee. In her testimony, she passionately advocated for increased funding for the Batterer’s Intervention and Prevention Program (BIPP), a crucial service that helps prevent domestic violence and holds offenders accountable. Kathryn’s leadership in this area highlights SafeHaven's commitment to not only supporting survivors but also addressing the root causes of abuse through comprehensive, statewide initiatives.
Read her full remarks below.
Good evening, y’all, and thank you Chair Huffman, Vice-Chair Hinojosa, and distinguished members of the committee. My name is Kathryn Jacob, and I’m proud to serve as the Chief Executive of SafeHaven in Tarrant County. I’m here to speak in support of keeping the 5 million dollars in biennium funding in SB 1, Article V for Battering Intervention and Prevention Programs—or BIPPs—and to kindly ask for a modest 925,000 dollar increase to strengthen this critical work.
In addition to leading SafeHaven, my husband and I are raising our three children in the small ranching town of Maypearl, where folks believe in hard work, accountability, and doing right by our neighbors. Those values are exactly what BIPPs promote—helping individuals take responsibility for their actions and giving families the tools they need to heal and thrive.
For over a decade, I’ve worked with domestic violence abusers, and my doctoral studies are fully dedicated to their reformation. SafeHaven is committed to finding the most effective ways to help people who’ve caused harm change their behavior, because that’s the key to breaking a pattern of abuse.
At SafeHaven, we’re on the frontlines, running two domestic violence shelters in Fort Worth and Arlington and a BIPP that serves Tarrant, Johnson, Hill, Potter, Lubbock, Falls, Angelina, and Taylor counties. Our mission is simple: hold offenders accountable and keep survivors safe. These programs don’t just treat symptoms—they tackle the root causes of harm in our homes.
We Texans know that strong families are the backbone of a strong state. Thanks to your leadership last session, we saw an increase in funding that helped us make real progress. But right now, state funding covers less than 20% of what it takes to run our program. That’s why I’m asking for this modest increase—because we can’t fight this battle effectively without the resources to do it.
One man in our program put it best when he said, “This program taught me to lead my family with love, not fear.” That’s what we’re doing: changing hearts, building leaders, and strengthening families.
Thank you for your time, for keeping Texas families at the heart of your work, and for allowing me to share the importance of these programs. I’d be happy to answer any questions.