The governor of American Samoa, Togiola Tulafono, is backing new legislation to combat domestic violence and protect the victims of sexual violence.
The planned Code of Domestic and Family Violence Act will be American Samoa's first attempt to specifically address domestic violence and the governor says he believes it will bring the territory in line with other jurisdictions in the US.
He says while he has reservations about some of the provisions in the bill, it is a step in the right direction.
