latest update
The Current Legislation
Alina’s Law first passed the Senate unanimously in 2017, but then stalled in the House and, in 2024, was gutted and replaced with unrelated provisions. In 2025, the legislation was reintroduced as
Senate Bill 123 (SB 123) – Introduced in 2025, SB 123 would permit courts to require electronic GPS monitoring of offenders under PFAs in certain high-risk situations;
House Bill 104 (HB 104) – The companion legislation in the House, also pending in 2025;
both carrying the heart of Alina’s Law: saving lives by giving courts the ability to require GPS monitoring of high-risk offenders under PFAs. We are working closely with key stakeholders to ensure the final language combines the toughest protections with the strongest constitutional safeguards.
But one critical piece is missing from both Bills: Alina’s name. Her name and her legacy are the reason this law exists. Restoring her name is essential to honoring her story, keeping public attention on this life-saving tool, and ensuring that Alina’s light continues to guide this fight.
advocacy
Our Advocacy Efforts
Alina’s Light has been leading efforts to educate the public, engage lawmakers, and build coalitions to advance Alina’s Law:
- Meetings with lawmakers: We have met with legislative champions including Senator Camera Bartolotta, who has pledged to help us champion the bill and carry it across the finish line. We have also engaged with leaders such as Senator Devlin Robinson, who voiced his strong support, and Representative Dan Frankel, with whom we are scheduled to meet in September 2025.
- Coalition building: We are working with survivors, advocates, and community leaders, including Amanda Mavrakis — a survivor who credits GPS monitoring with saving her life — and Nicole Molinaro, CEO of the Women’s Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh, who has pledged her support.
- Expert partnerships: We are collaborating with Jon Ridge, Director of Probation Services in Washington County, whose office runs the GPS monitoring system already saving lives. He has pledged to testify about the program’s success and to share Washington County’s model as a roadmap for the state.
- Community outreach: Through events like the Walk, Run, and Family Fun Day, which drew over 400 participants, we raise awareness and inspire action.
Together, these efforts form a growing, bipartisan coalition committed to protecting Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable.
How You Can Help!
Your voice matters. Please take action today to help bring Alina’s Law across the finish line:
TASK 1: Call or email your legislators. Urge them to:
Return Alina’s name to SB 123 and HB 104.
Support and vote YES on Alina’s Law.
TASK 2: Share Alina’s story.
Use your social media to spread awareness about the importance of Alina’s Law.
TASK 3: Join our coalition.
Survivors, advocates, and community members are all welcome — together we are stronger.
CONTACT JOHN
Contact Fetterman's Office
We ask that you please reach out to Fetterman's Office with a message expressing your support and importance of Alina's Law.
TASK 2: Alina’s Law Needs a Leader!
Alina’s Law needs a champion to lead it through the Pennsylvania House and Congress.
TASK 2:   We urge all supporters to write to Rep. Mihalek and thank her for standing with us — and to encourage her to lead the charge in moving Alina's Law through the Pennsylvania House to full implementation.
Your voice matters!
Together, we can ensure lasting change.
CONTACT Natalie
Contact Natalie Mihalek
We ask that you please write her with a message expressing your support and to encourage her to lead the charge!
about alina's law
Alina Sheykhet was a vibrant, compassionate young woman and University of Pittsburgh student whose life was tragically cut short in 2017 by her ex-boyfriend, just days after she secured a Protection From Abuse (PFA) order. Her story is the driving force behind Alina’s Law — legislation designed to give courts an additional tool to protect victims of domestic violence through electronic GPS monitoring of high-risk offenders.
Alina’s Light was founded to ensure that her story does not end in tragedy, but instead shines as a beacon for change.
What is Alina’s Law?
Alina’s Law, when it becomes an official, will be designed to transform PFAs from just a piece of paper into a real, life-saving protection. Right now, a PFA violation can result in fines or jail, but there’s nothing in place to physically prevent a determined abuser from approaching their victim. Alina’s Law would give judges the ability to require electronic monitoring for defendants who are found to be a substantial risk-meaning that if the abuser comes too close, both the victim and the police would be alerted immediately. This gives survivors precious time to get to safety and allows law enforcement to respond quickly.
If a court finds that someone is likely to violate a PFA or commit a crime against the victim, the judge could order them to wear a device that tracks their location and sends out real-time alerts if they enter a restricted area. The monitoring continues until police can confirm the victim is safe and the threat has passed
Why do we need Alina’s Law?
Alina’s story is heartbreakingly common. After filing for a PFA, victims are often left in limbo, waiting for their day in court while still at risk. In Alina’s case, delays and gaps in the system left her unprotected, and her abuser was able to find her despite the court order. Alina’s Law is our promise to fight for a system that truly protects those who need it most, so no other family has to endure the pain the Sheykhets live with every day.
Legislative History
Since 2018, Alina’s Light has been at the forefront of advocating. We have worked with lawmakers, supported Rep. Anita Kulik’s efforts in Harrisburg, and raised awareness throughout Pennsylvania. The original bill was gutted since, and we have started from scratch in 2025 because we will not give up until our voices are heard. We have shared Alina’s story, spoken at the Capitol, met with Senator John Fetterman’s staff and will be meeting with so many more officials in the months to come. We continue to push for the original vision of Alina’s Law: a law that gives victims a genuine chance to survive and heal.
You Can Help!
- Your voice matters. Please take action today to help bring Alina’s Law across the finish line:
Call or email your legislators. Urge them to:
- Return Alina’s name to SB 123 and HB 104.
- Support and vote YES on Alina’s Law.
If you would like to call, here is a
Sample Call Script
Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I live in [Your Town/County].
I’m calling to urge Senator/Representative [Name] to support Alina’s Law and to return Alina Sheykhet’s name to Senate Bill 123 and House Bill 104. Alina was a Pittsburgh student who was brutally murdered by her ex-boyfriend, despite having a PFA. Alina’s Law would give judges the option of ordering GPS monitoring of high-risk abusers — a tool that is already saving lives in Washington County.
This legislation is bipartisan, it has already passed the Senate once before, and it’s time to make it law statewide. Please support Alina’s Law and restore Alina’s name to the bills.
Thank you.
Alina’s Law is already saving lives in Washington County. With your help, we can extend these protections across the Commonwealth, so Pennsylvania can join other States standing up to domestic violence and protecting survivors. Let us honor Alina by ensuring her light continues to guide us toward safety, justice, and hope.
