Order Code RL30871
Violence Against Women Act:
History and Federal Funding
Updated January 23, 2007
Garrine P. Laney
Analyst in Social Legislation
Domestic Social Policy Division

Violence Against Women Act:
History and Federal Funding
Summary
On January 5, 2006, the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice
Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005) (P.L. 109-162) was enacted. Among
other things, VAWA 2005 reauthorizes existing VAWA programs and provides
authorizations for many new programs. The act seeks to continue to encourage
collaboration among law enforcement, judicial personnel, and public and private
service providers to victims of domestic and sexual violence; increase public
awareness of domestic violence; address the special needs of victims of domestic and
sexual violence, including the elderly, disabled, children, youth, and individuals of
ethnic and racial communities; provide long-term and transitional housing for
victims; make some provisions gender-neutral; and require studies and reports on the
effectiveness of approaches used for certain grants in combating violence.
VAWA programs are funded through annual appropriations for the Departments
of Justice and Health and Human Services (HHS). The Science-State-Justice-
Commerce (H.R. 5672) and the Departments of Labor-HHS-Education (H.R. 5647
and S. 3708) appropriations bills were not enacted into law for FY2007. H.R. 5672
was passed by the House during the 109th Congress, but saw no floor action in the
Senate. H.R. 5647 and S. 3708 did not receive floor action in either chamber. A
third continuing resolution was enacted (P.L. 109-383; H.J.Res. 102) on December
9, 2006, however, which provides funding for VAWA programs through February
15, 2007, based on FY2006 funding levels. The 110th Congress is expected to
complete the appropriations process for FY2007. President Bush is expected to
release his budget proposals for FY2008 in February.
President Bush requested $543.32 million in funding for VAWA programs for
FY2007, of which $366.12 million and $177.20 million were for programs
administered by DOJ and HHS, respectively. In general, funding was not requested
for programs newly created in VAWA 2005. Total FY2006 appropriations for
violence against women programs was $558.07 million — $381.57 million for
programs administered by DOJ and $176.50 million for programs administered by
HHS. These amounts reflect the across-the-board rescission reductions of 1% for
FY2006 discretionary appropriations.
The original Violence Against Women Act, enacted in 1994 as Title IV of the
Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act (P.L. 103-322), established within
DOJ and HHS discretionary grant programs for state, local, and Indian tribal
governments. The Violence Against Women Act of 2000 (VAWA 2000), enacted
as Division B of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000
(P.L. 106-386), reauthorized many VAWA programs, set new funding levels, and
created new grant programs to address sexual assaults on campuses and assist victims
of domestic abuse. The Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-
36) and the PROTECT Act (P.L. 108-21), among other provisions, authorized
funding of HHS and DOJ transitional housing assistance programs for victims of
domestic violence, respectively. This report will be updated to reflect legislative
activity.

Contents
Recent Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
History of the Violence Against Women Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Changes in Federal Criminal Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Debate over Gender Inclusiveness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Civil Rights and Supreme Court Ruling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Original VAWA Grant Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Law Enforcement and Prosecution
(Special Training Officers and Prosecutors,
or STOP) Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
State Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalition Grants . . . . . . . 5
Rape Prevention and Education Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
National Domestic Violence Hotline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies in Domestic Violence Cases . . . . 6
Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Community Programs on Domestic Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
National Stalker and Domestic Violence Reduction Grants . . . . . . . . . 7
Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement Grants . . . . . 7
Victims of Child Abuse Grants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Federal Victims Counselors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Grants to Reduce Sexual Abuse
of Runaway, Homeless, and Street Youth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Equal Justice for Women in the Courts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Initiatives Created in the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Grant Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Grants for Legal Assistance to Victims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Short Term Transitional Housing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Older and Disabled Individuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Safe Haven Pilot Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Other Initiatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Dating Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Task Force on Domestic Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Program Reauthorizations in the 108th Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Transitional Housing Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
National Domestic Violence Hotline and
Battered Women’s Shelters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Reauthorization of VAWA in the 109th Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Committee and Final Congressional Activity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
VAWA 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Title I — Enhancing Judicial and Law Enforcement Tools
to Combat Violence Against Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Title II — Improving Services for Victims of Domestic Violence,
Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Title III — Services, Protection, and Justice
for Young Victims of Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Title IV — Strengthening America’s Families
by Preventing Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Title V — Strengthening the Health Care System’s Response
to Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault,
and Stalking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Title VI — Housing Opportunities and Safety
for Battered Women and Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Title VII — Providing Economic Security
for Victims of Violence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Title IX — Safety for Indian Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Title X — DNA Fingerprinting (P.L. 109-162) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
FY2007 Funding for Violence Against Women Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
VAWA 2000 Historical Funding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
FY2006 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
FY2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
FY2004 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
FY2003 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
FY2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
FY2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
List of Tables
Table 1. Funds Appropriated for Violence Against Women Grant Programs,
FY1996-FY2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Table 2. Funding Authorized in the Violence Against Women Act 2000
(P.L. 106-386) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Table 3. Funding for Violence Against Women Programs,
FY2005-FY2007 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Violence Against Women Act:
History and Federal Funding
Recent Developments
During the 109th Congress, neither the Science-State-Justice-Commerce (H.R.
5672) nor the Departments of Labor-Health and Human Services-Education
appropriations (H.R. 5647 and S. 3708) bills for FY2007 were enacted. A third
continuing resolution was enacted (P.L. 109-383; H.J.Res. 102) on December 9,
2006, however, which provides funding for VAWA programs through February 15,
2007, based on FY2006 funding levels. The 110th Congress is expected to complete
the appropriations process for FY2007. President Bush is expected to release his
budget proposals for FY2008 in February. (See FY2007 Funding for Violence
Against Women Programs
, below.)
History of the Violence Against Women Act
Legislation proposing a federal response to the problem of violence against
women was first introduced in 1990, although such violence was first identified as
a serious problem in the 1970s. Congressional action to address gender-related
violence culminated in the enactment of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA),
which is Title IV of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994.1
Funding under the bill emphasized enforcement as well as educational and social
programs to prevent crime. The focus of the funding was on local government
programs, an approach that the sponsors of the bill believed was the most promising
technique for reducing crime and violence. They also cautioned that, due to the
variety of programs funded though the states, the impact of the bill may be difficult
to quantify.2 Funding through FY2000 was authorized through the Violent Crime
Reduction Trust Fund (VCRTF), created under Title XXXI of P.L. 103-322.
1 P.L. 103-322; 108 Stat. 1902; 42 U.S.C. § 13701.
2 Indeed, there are only two studies that attempt to evaluate the overall effects of a VAWA
grant program: (1) Martha R. Burt, Lisa C. Newmark, Lisa K. Jacobs, and Adele V. Harrell,
1998: Report: Evaluation of the STOP Formula Grants Under the Violence Against Women
Act of 1994
(Washington, D.C.: Urban Institute, 1998); and (2) Neal Miller, National
Evaluation of the Arrest Policies Program Under VAWA
, presented at the Bureau of Justice
Statistics/Justice Research Statistical Association National Conference in Minneapolis, MN,
Nov. 2, 2000. Though both studies provide examples of effective programs funded by the
grants, neither offers a conclusion as to the overall effectiveness of these grant programs.

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Authorization for VCRTF expired at the end of FY2000. Nonetheless, most of the
programs in VAWA received appropriations for FY2001.3
On October 28, 2000, President Clinton signed into law the Victims of
Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-386), of which Division
B is the Violence Against Women Act of 2000. The Violence Against Women Act
of 2000 continued to support VAWA by reauthorizing existing programs and adding
new initiatives, including grants to assist victims of dating violence, transitional
housing for victims of violence, a pilot program aimed at protecting children during
visits with a parent who has been accused of domestic violence, and protections from
violence for elderly and disabled women. It also made technical amendments, and
required grant recipients to submit reports on the effectiveness of programs funded
by the grants to aid with the dissemination of information on successful programs.
The bill amended the Public Health Service Act (P.L. 98-457) to require that certain
funds be used exclusively for rape prevention and education programs. Moreover,
the bill made it easier for battered immigrant women to leave and to help prosecute
their abusers. Under the old law, battered immigrant women could be deported if
they left abusers who are their sponsors for residency and citizenship in the United
States. VAWA 2000 created special rules for alien battered spouses and children to
allow them to remain in the United States.4
Changes in Federal Criminal Law. To help combat violence against
women, the original VAWA rewrote several areas of federal criminal law. Penalties
were created for interstate stalking or domestic abuse in cases where an abuser
crossed a state line to injure or harass another, or forced a victim to cross a state line
under duress and then physically harmed the victim in the course of a violent crime.
Additionally, the law strengthened existing penalties for repeat sexual offenders and
required restitution to victims in federal sex offense cases. VAWA called for pretrial
detention in federal sex offense or child pornography felonies and allowed evidence
of prior sex offenses to be used in some subsequent trials regarding federal sex
crimes. The law also set new rules of evidence specifying that a victim’s past sexual
behavior generally was not admissible in federal civil or criminal cases regarding
sexual misconduct. Rape victims were allowed to demand that their alleged
assailants be tested for HIV, the virus that is generally believed to cause AIDS. A
federal judge could order such a procedure after determining that risk to the victim
existed.
As in the original Act, VAWA 2000 created new stalking offenses, changing the
law to create penalties for a person who travels in interstate or foreign commerce
with the intent to kill, injure, harass, or intimidate a spouse or intimate partner, and
who in the course of such travel commits or attempts to commit a crime of violence
against the spouse or intimate partner. It also created penalties for a person who
3 For detailed information on the grant programs and the application process, please consult
the Department of Justice’s Violence Against Women Office, at [http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/
vawo/applicationkits.htm]. For information on grant programs in each state, consult
[http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo/stategrants.htm].
4 See CRS Report RL30559, Immigration: Noncitizen Victims of Family Violence, by
Andorra Bruno and Alison Siskin.

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causes a spouse or intimate partner to travel in interstate or foreign commerce by
force or coercion and in the course of such travel commits or attempts to commit a
crime of violence against the spouse or intimate partner. The bill added the intimate
partners of the victim as people covered under the interstate stalking statute, and
made it a crime to use the mail or any facility of interstate or foreign commerce to
engage in a course of conduct that would place a person in reasonable fear of harm
to themselves or their immediate family or intimate partner. Additionally, VAWA
2000 created penalties for any person who travels in interstate or foreign commerce
with the intent of violating a protection order or causes a person to travel in interstate
or foreign commerce by force or coercion and violates a protection order.5
Debate over Gender Inclusiveness. Although the programs in the original
VAWA law tended to be popular among criminal justice practitioners, and VAWA
2000 passed with almost unanimous support in Congress, VAWA did have its critics.
Most of the criticisms of VAWA and VAWA 2000 came from those who felt that
violence was a problem of both men and women, and that both men and women were
victims of domestic violence. They argued that the programs in VAWA only
addressed the needs of women victims.6 Opponents of the law also felt that the
legislation was paternalistic; it implied that women needed special protections.7
Proponents of VAWA argued that the language of the law was gender-neutral and
that programs could address the needs of men as well as women.8
Civil Rights and Supreme Court Ruling.9 Under Title IV, subtitle C —
“Civil Rights for Women,” of the 1994 Act, language was included that would have
permitted private damage suits in federal court by victims of “gender motivated
violence.” This provision was struck down (5-4) on May 15, 2000, by the Supreme
Court in United States v. Morrison as unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause
and the Fourteenth Amendment.10 The Court found that such violence did not
substantially affect interstate commerce. It further noted that the Fourteenth
Amendment is directed at state actions, not those of private citizens. None of the
other provisions of the 1994 Act have been challenged in the Supreme Court.
Unaffected by the court decision were grant programs created by VAWA and
placed within DOJ and HHS. These programs are administered by the states and
funds can be allocated by the states to state agencies, Indian tribal governments, units
5 P.L. 106-386, Section 1107.
6 For more information see the American Coalition for Fathers & Children homepage, at
[http://www.acfc.org], visited on Sept. 28, 2000.
7 Stephanie Gutmann, “Are All Men Rapists?” National Review, vol. 45, Aug. 1993, pp. 44-
47; Cathy Young, “Act Stirs Up Debate on Crime and Gender,” Insight, vol. 9, Nov. 29,
1993, pp. 12-16.
8 For more information, see the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence homepage,
at [http://www.ncadv.org].
9 For a detailed analysis of United States v. Morrison, 529 U.S. 598 (2000), and its effect
on VAWA, see CRS Report RS20584, United States v. Morrison: The Supreme Court
Declares 42 U.S.C. § 13981 Unconstitutional
, by T.J. Halstead, May 22, 2000.
10 Nonetheless, victims can still bring damage suits in state courts.

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of local government and private nonprofit groups, and include grants to improve law
enforcement and prosecution of violent crimes against women, grants to encourage
arrests in domestic violence incidents, moneys for rural domestic violence and child
abuse enforcement, rape prevention and education programs, and grants for battered
women’s shelters, among others. (A national domestic violence hotline is funded to
a single contractor under the administration of HHS.) The following sections
describe grant programs created by the original VAWA, followed by a section on
additional initiatives created in VAWA 2000, and a subsequent section on the most
recent reauthorization of VAWA in 2005.
Original VAWA Grant Programs
Law Enforcement and Prosecution (Special Training Officers and
Prosecutors, or STOP) Grants. The purpose of STOP grants, administered by
the Attorney General, is to help state governments, Indian tribal governments, and
units of local government strengthen law enforcement, prosecution, and victims’
services in cases involving violent crimes against women. These grants may be used
to provide personnel, training, technical assistance, data collection, and other
equipment to increase the apprehension, prosecution, and adjudication of persons
committing violent crimes against women. Activities may include
! training law enforcement officers and prosecutors to more
effectively identify and respond to violent crimes against women,
including those of sexual assault, domestic violence, and dating
violence;
! developing, training, or expanding units of law enforcement officers
and prosecutors specifically targeting violent crimes against women;
! developing and implementing more effective police and prosecution
policies, protocols, orders, and services specifically devoted to
preventing, identifying and responding to violent crimes against
women;
! developing, installing, or expanding relevant data collection and
communication systems;
! developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs for relevant victim
services to address stalking and to address the needs and
circumstances of Indian tribes in dealing with violent crimes against
women including dating violence;
! developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs to assist law
enforcement and the courts to address the needs of older individuals
and individuals with disabilities who are the victims of domestic
violence and sexual assault;
! coordinating the response of state law enforcement agencies,
prosecutors, courts, victim service agencies, and other state agencies
to violence crimes against women, including dating violence; and
! training of sexual assault forensic medical personnel in the
collection and preservation of evidence, analysis, prevention, and
providing expert testimony and treatment of trauma related to sexual
assault.

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At least 25% of each grant must be allotted, without duplication, to each of three
areas, respectively: prosecution, law enforcement, and victim services. Of the
amounts appropriated: 5% is allocated to Indian tribal governments; $600,000 is
available for grants to applicants in each state; 5% of the funds must be set aside for
state sexual assault and domestic violence coalitions; and the remaining funds are to
be distributed to applicants in each state on the basis of relative population. [Section
40121]
State Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Coalition Grants.
These grants are distributed by the Attorney General for state domestic violence and
sexual assault coalitions. Such coalitions shall further the purposes of domestic
violence or sexual assault intervention and prevention through information and
training. Each state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the combined U.S.
Territories should receive 1/53rd of the funds allocated. In addition, 2.5% of the
STOP funds are set aside, each, for state sexual assault and domestic violence
coalitions.
Rape Prevention and Education Grants. The funds for these grants are
added to the Preventive Health Services Block Grants monies already distributed to
the states by HHS. The grants may be used by the states for rape prevention and
education programs conducted by rape crisis centers or similar nongovernmental
nonprofit entities. Specifically, these grants may be used for

! educational seminars
! operation of rape crisis hotlines
! training programs for professionals
! the preparation of training materials
! education and training for students and campus personnel
! education to increase awareness about drugs used to facilitate rapes
or sexual assaults
! other efforts to increase awareness or prevent sexual assault
especially in underserved communities.
Of the monies provided to the states 25% must be used for education in middle,
junior high, and high schools. Grants are made on the basis of the relative population
of each state. [Sections 40151-40152]
National Domestic Violence Hotline. These funds are authorized for the
Secretary of HHS to make a grant to a private, nonprofit entity to provide for the
operation of a national, toll-free telephone hotline to provide information and
assistance to victims of domestic violence. The grant may fund the use and operation
of the telephone line; the employment, training, and supervision of personnel to
answer calls and provide counseling and referral services on a 24-hour basis; the
establishment of a database with information and services available for victims of
domestic violence; and the advertisement of the hotline to potential users nationwide.
[Section 40211] This program has been reauthorized through FY2008, outside of the
VAWA reauthorization process, through the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act
(P.L. 108-36), described later in this report.

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Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies in Domestic Violence Cases.
The purpose of these grants is to assist state governments, Indian tribal governments,
and units of local government in treating domestic violence as a serious violation of
criminal law. Grants may be used to
! implement mandatory arrest or pro-arrest programs and policies in
police departments;
! develop policies and training in police departments to improve
tracking of cases involving domestic violence and dating violence;
! centralize and coordinate police enforcement, prosecution, or
judicial responsibility for domestic violence cases;
! coordinate computer tracking systems to ensure communication
between police, prosecutors, and the courts;
! strengthen legal advocacy service programs for victims of domestic
violence and dating violence;
! develop or strengthen policies and training for the police,
prosecutors, and the judiciary in recognizing, investigating, and
prosecuting instances of domestic violence and sexual assault
against older individuals and individuals with disabilities; and
! educate judges about domestic violence and improve judicial
handling of such cases.
Applicants must certify that their laws or official policies encourage or mandate
arrest policies in domestic violence cases and do not require the abused to bear the
costs associated with the filing of criminal charges. Priority is given to applicants
who do not currently provide for centralized handling of cases involving domestic
violence by police, prosecutors, and the courts, and to those who demonstrate a
commitment to strong enforcement and prosecution of such cases. For more
information consult [http://www.usdoj.gov/ovw/arrest_grant_desc.htm]. [Section
40231]
Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters. These grants are distributed by
the Secretary of HHS for battered women’s shelters. The grants for each state are
allocated based on the relative population of the state except that (1) each state is
allocated not less than 1% of the total grant or $600,000 which ever is less; and (2)
Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the
Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands are allotted not less than one-eighth of 1% of
the amounts available for grants. [Section 40241] This program has been
reauthorized through FY2008, outside of the VAWA reauthorization process by the
Keeping Children and Families Safe Act (P.L. 108-36), described later in this report.
Community Programs on Domestic Violence. These grants are provided
by the Secretary of HHS to nonprofit private organizations for the purpose of
establishing projects in local communities to coordinate intervention and prevention
efforts against domestic violence.
Grants fund local projects that coordinate efforts among such sectors as health
care providers, the education community, the religious community, the criminal
justice system, human service entities, and business and civic leaders. Grants may

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be made for up to three years and are to be geographically dispersed throughout the
country. [Section 40261]
National Stalker and Domestic Violence Reduction Grants. The
Attorney General is authorized to make grants to states and units of local government
to improve data entry for cases of stalking and domestic violence in local, state, and
national crime information databases most notably the National Crime Information
Center (NCIC).
Applicants must certify that they have established a program that enters into the
NCIC records of
! warrants for the arrest of persons violating protection orders
intended to protect victims from stalking and domestic violence;
! arrests or convictions of persons violating protection or domestic
violence; and
! protection orders for the protection of persons from stalking and
domestic violence.
These grants are awarded on a need-based basis for entities that do not have this type
of system in place. [Sections 40602-40607]
Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement Grants.
These grants are provided by the Attorney General to states, Indian tribal
governments, or local governments of rural states, and to other public and private
entities of rural states to (1) implement, expand and establish cooperative efforts and
projects between law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim advocacy groups, and
other related parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of domestic violence,
dating violence, and child abuse; (2) provide treatment and counseling to such
victims; and (3) work cooperatively to develop education and prevention strategies
at the community level. A minimum of 5% of the grant monies are allocated to
Indian tribal governments For more information see [http://www.usdoj.gov/
ovw/rural_grant_desc.htm]. [Section 40295]
Victims of Child Abuse Grants. VAWA amended the Victims of Child
Abuse Act of 1990 to provide authorization for three purposes:
! the court-appointed special advocate program;
! child abuse training programs for judicial personnel and
practitioners; and
! grants for televised testimony.
Priority for the court-appointed special advocate program grants is given to localities
that do not have existing programs and to programs in need of expansion. Priority
for child abuse training programs is given to programs that aim to improve the
procedures of child service agencies. For more information, see CRS Report
RL32976, Child Welfare: Programs Authorized by the Victims of Child Abuse Act
of 1990
, by Emilie Stoltzfus.

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Federal Victims Counselors. This money is allocated to the U.S. Attorneys
to appoint victims/witness counselors for prosecution of sex and domestic violence
crimes where applicable. [Section 40114]
Grants to Reduce Sexual Abuse of Runaway, Homeless, and Street
Youth. The Secretary of HHS may make grants to private, nonprofit agencies for
prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation of runaway, homeless, and street youth.
Funds may be used for street-based outreach and education, including treatment,
counseling, provision of information and referrals for those subject to or at risk of
sexual abuse. Priority is given to those agencies with experience in providing
services to this population. These grants were reauthorized through FY2003 by P.L.
106-71; and subsequently through FY2008 by P.L. 108-96. [Section 40155] For
more information on this program, see CRS Report RL33785, Runaway and
Homeless Youth: Demographics, Programs, and Emerging Issues
, by Adrienne L.
Fernandes.
Equal Justice for Women in the Courts. The State Justice Institute and
the Federal Judicial Center, respectively, may make grants to provide model
programs involving training of judges and court personnel in state and federal courts
on rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, and other gender motivated crimes.
The State Justice Institute grants may be used to train Indian tribal judges and
court personnel in the laws on rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, dating
violence, and other crimes of violence motivated by the victim’s gender. The funds
may also be used for training on the issues raised by domestic violence and sexual
assault in determining custody and visitation. At least 40% of funds must be
expended on model programs regarding domestic violence and at least 40% of funds
must be expended on model programs regarding rape and sexual assault.
The Federal Judicial Center grants may be used to educate and train judges on
issues related to gender bias in the courts. [Sections 40411-414, 40421-422].
Initiatives Created
in the Violence Against Women Act of 2000
Grant Programs
Grants for Legal Assistance to Victims. VAWA 2000 authorized the
Attorney General to award grants to private nonprofit entities, Indian tribal
governments, and publically funded organizations to increase the availability of legal
assistance to victims of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault in legal matters,
such as immigration, housing matters, and protection orders, at minimum or no cost
to the victim. These grants may be used to establish or expand cooperative efforts
between victim services organizations and legal assistance providers, by providing
training, technical assistance, and data collection. [Section 1201]

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Short Term Transitional Housing. VAWA 2000 included grants to be
administered by HHS for short-term transitional housing assistance and support
services for victims of domestic abuse. [Section 1203]
Older and Disabled Individuals. VAWA 2000 amended the language of
the existing STOP grants and “Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies” to provide funds
to increase protection of older individuals and individuals with disabilities from
domestic violence and sexual assault through policies and training for police,
prosecutors, and the judiciary. It also created new grants, administered by the
Attorney General, for training programs to assist law enforcement officers,
prosecutors, and court officials in addressing, investigating and prosecuting instances
of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and violence against individuals with
disabilities, including domestic violence and sexual assault. [Section 1209]
Safe Haven Pilot Program. VAWA 2000 authorized the Attorney General
to award grants to state, local, and Indian tribal governments to provide supervised
visitation and safe visitation exchange for children involved in situations of domestic
violence, child abuse, or sexual assault. [Section 1301]
Other Initiatives
Studies. There were several studies authorized in VAWA 2000. These
included studies of: (1) insurance discrimination against victims of domestic
violence; (2) workplace effects of violence against women; (3) unemployment
compensation for women who are victims of violence; and (4) parental kidnaping.
VAWA 2000 also required the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to develop a
research agenda and plans to implement the agenda based on the National Academy
of Sciences’ recommendations in the report Understanding Violence Against Women.
[Sections 1206-1208, 1303-1304]
Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000. VAWA 2000
contains the Battered Immigrant Women Protection Act of 2000, which provides for
increased protection of immigrant women who are victims of domestic abuse, and
creates special rules for alien battered spouses and children to allow them to remain
in the United States.11 [Sections 1501-1513]
Dating Violence. VAWA 2000 established a definition for “dating violence”
and amended the existing law so that STOP grants, Grants to Encourage Arrest
Policies, and Rural Domestic Violence grants can be awarded for programs to combat
dating violence, defined as
violence committed by a person (A) who is or has been in a social relationship
of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim; and (B) where the existence of
such a relationship shall be determined based on a consideration of the following
factors: (I) the length of the relationship; (ii) the type of relationship; and (iii)
11 See CRS Report RL30559, Immigration: Noncitizen Victims of Family Violence, by
Andorra Bruno and Alison Siskin.

CRS-10
the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.
[Section 1109]
Task Force on Domestic Violence. VAWA 2000 established a task force
to coordinate research on domestic violence. [Section 1407]
Program Reauthorizations in the 108th Congress
During the 108th Congress, legislation was enacted to reauthorize some VAWA
programs that are administered by HHS — the Keeping Children and Families Safe
Act (P.L. 108-36) and the Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the
Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003 (the PROTECT Act, P.L. 108-21). In
addition, the PROTECT Act created a new housing program for victims of domestic
violence.
Transitional Housing Assistance
The Keeping Children and Families Safe Act (P.L. 108-36), amended the Family
Violence Prevention and Services Act and reauthorized the HHS transitional housing
assistance program at $25 million for each of FY2003 through FY2008. No funding,
however, has been provided for this program, which was originally established in
VAWA 2000.
The PROTECT Act contains provisions for transitional housing assistance that
are very similar to the transitional housing program established within HHS. The
PROTECT Act, however, provides for DOJ to administer the transitional housing
assistance program. Among other provisions, the act directs the Attorney General,
in consultation with the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW),
to provide transitional housing assistance grants to states, units of local governments,
Indian tribes, and other organizations. These grants can assist persons who need
transitional housing because they are fleeing domestic violence, and for whom
emergency shelter services are lacking or are inadequate. For 18 months, eligible
persons can receive assistance with short-term housing (including rental), utilities
payments, security deposits, and other expenses related to relocating to transitional
housing. Grant recipients can waive the 18-month period and extend assistance for
six more months to persons who have made a good-faith effort to acquire permanent
housing but have been unsuccessful. In addition, a minor, an adult, or a dependent
of such minor or adult who is escaping a domestic violence situation can receive
support services to locate and secure permanent housing, and transportation,
counseling, child care services, case management, employment counseling, and other
assistance to become integrated into a community.
The act requires a grant recipient to prepare an annual report for submission to
the Attorney General that describes the number of minors, adults, and dependents
assisted and the types of housing assistance and support services that were provided.
Each year, the Attorney General, with the Director of OVW, must submit a report to
the House and Senate Judiciary Committees that compiles information provided
annually by grant recipients. For grants, $30 million is authorized for each of fiscal

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years 2004 through 2008. Of this amount, the Attorney General in any fiscal year can
use no more than 3% for salaries and administrative expenses. For the transitional
housing program for FY2004, Congress appropriated $15 million as a separate line
item in the FY2004 Consolidated Appropriations Act. Starting in FY2005, this
program has been funded as a set-aside within the STOP grant program.
National Domestic Violence Hotline
and Battered Women’s Shelters

The Keeping Children and Families Safe Act also reauthorized the national
domestic violence hotline at $3.5 million for each of FY2004 through FY2008 and
the battered women’s shelters program at $175 million for each of FY2004 through
FY2008.
Reauthorization of VAWA
in the 109th Congress12
On January 5, 2006, President Bush signed into law the Violence Against
Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (VAWA 2005) (P.L.
109-162). VAWA 2005 authorizes funding of $1 billion for programs in FY2007,
of which $675 million is administered by DOJ and $325 million by HHS. The
President’s total FY2007 funding request for these programs is $543.32 million, and
includes $366.12 million and $177.20 million for programs administered by DOJ and
HHS, respectively.
Committee and Final Congressional Activity
On September 28, 2005, the House passed H.R. 3402 with amendments by a
vote of 415 to 4; on October 7, 2005, the bill was referred to the Senate Judiciary
Committee. At the request of Senator Specter, Chair of the Judiciary Committee,
Senator Santorum proposed a complete substitute (S.Amdt. 2681) for H.R. 3402,
which the Senate agreed to by unanimous consent and passed on December 16, 2005.
The House, on December 17, 2005, under suspension of the rules, agreed to the
Senate amendment. On January 5, 2006, President Bush signed the bill into law (P.L.
109-162).
12 Readers should note that provisions of VAWA legislation related to immigrant victims
of violence (Title VIII) are not addressed in this report. For information on these provisions,
contact Andorra Bruno (7-7865) or Alison Siskin (7-0260). In addition, Title XI of the
legislation is the Department of Justice Reauthorization Act; see CRS Report RL33111,
Department of Justice Reauthorization: Provisions to Improve Program Management,
Compliance and Evaluation of Justice Assistance Grants
, by Nathan James.

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VAWA 2005
VAWA 2005 reauthorizes many existing programs for FY2007 through
FY2011, and authorizes a number of new programs for victims of domestic and
dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The act emphasizes collaboration
among law enforcement, health and housing professionals, and women, men, and
youth alliances, and encourages community initiatives to address these issues. New
programs seek to focus on young victims of violence; improve the health care
system’s response to violence; inform the public and employers about domestic and
dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; protect the privacy of victims of
violence; provide housing assistance, including public housing, for battered women
and children; and support outreach efforts to underserved populations such as ethnic,
immigrant, and racial populations. In an effort to more closely monitor the status and
performance of some of these programs, VAWA 2005 provides for some grant
recipients to submit reports on policies and procedures they followed. The act also
provides funding for studies and research on effective interventions that prevent both
acts and effects of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. A
summary of VAWA 2005 follows.
Title I — Enhancing Judicial and Law Enforcement Tools to Combat
Violence Against Women.
Sec. 101 of VAWA 2005 reauthorizes the existing STOP grant program at
$225 million for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011. Annual funding must be
reserved as follows: 10% for Indian tribal governments; 2.5% for state domestic
violence coalitions, with 1/56 of funding for the coalitions for each state, the District
of Columbia, and the U.S. territories.
The act adds three new purposes to the existing 11 purposes for STOP grants.
The 12th purpose for STOP grants is to maintain core victim services and criminal
justice initiatives while supporting complementary new initiatives and emergency
services for victims and their families. The 13th purpose is to support the placement
of special victim assistants (to be known as Jessica Gonzales Victim Assistants) in
local law enforcement agencies to serve as liaisons between victims of domestic
violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking and personnel in local law
enforcement agencies to improve enforcement of protection orders. The 14th purpose
of STOP grants is to provide funding to law enforcement agencies, nonprofit
nongovernmental victim services providers and state, tribal, territorial, and local
governments (this funding stream is to be known as the Crystal Judson Domestic
Violence Protocol Program) to promote development and implementation of training
for local victim domestic violence service providers and to fund victim services
personnel (to be known as Crystal Judson Victim Advocates). Further, the purpose
is to implement protocols within law enforcement agencies to ensure consistent and
effective responses to acts of domestic violence by personnel within these agencies;
and to develop these protocols in collaboration with state, tribal, territorial, and local
service providers and domestic violence coalitions.
VAWA 2005 further amends the STOP grant program by adding a new
subsection on Training, Technical Assistance, and Data Collection, which requires
that a minimum of 3% and up to a maximum of 8% of funds appropriated be used for

CRS-13
training and technical assistance relating to the purpose areas of this part to improve
the capacity of grantees, subgrantees and other entities. In addition, the act requires
the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to ensure that training
and technical assistance on violence against Indian women will be developed and
provided by entities with expertise in tribal law and culture and federal Indian law.
The act permits a state or Indian tribal government to use STOP grant funds to
pay for forensic medical exams that are performed by persons trained to examine
victims of sexual assault. If, however, a state or Indian tribal government requires
victims of sexual assault to have their insurance carriers reimburse them for the cost
of such examinations, federal funds may not be used to pay for them. Further, the act
provides that nothing in this section shall be construed to permit a state or Indian
tribal government to require a victim of sexual assault to participate in the criminal
justice system or cooperate with law enforcement in order to receive a forensic
medical exam, reimbursement for charges incurred on account of such an exam, or
both. It adds a provision on judicial notification, which would deny a state or unit
of local government funds under this part unless the state or unit of local government
(1) certifies that its judicial administrative policies and practices include notification
to domestic violence offenders of certain requirements applicable to them; and (2)
assures the Attorney General that its judicial administrative policies and practices
will be in compliance with this requirement within the later of the date on which the
next session of the state legislature ends or in two years. The act provides for
distribution to other states and units of local government, pro rata, any funds
withheld from a state or unit of local government under this subsection.
In amending STOP grants, VAWA 2005 provides a new section on Polygraph
Testing Prohibitions, which requires that within three years of enactment a state,
Indian tribal government, territorial government, or unit of local government must
have laws, policies and practices prohibiting victims of sexual assault from having
to submit to polygraph tests before an investigation or prosecution of the crime in
order to be eligible for STOP grant funding. The refusal of a victim to submit to an
examination must not prevent an investigation, charging, or prosecution of the
offense.
Sec. 102. VAWA 2005 amends grants to encourage arrests and enforce
protection orders to add dating violence, sexual assault and stalking, mandatory
arrest programs, and protection order registries to the purpose of the existing grant
program. It adds five more purposes to the existing eight for which the Attorney
General can make grants. The 9th purpose under this section is to develop state,
tribal, territorial, or local policies, procedures, protocols, and methods that prevent
dual arrests and prosecutions in cases of domestic, dating, and sexual violence and
stalking, and that effectively identify the pattern of abuse that indicates the actual
perpetrator of abuse. The 10th purpose for which grants can be made is to plan,
develop, and establish comprehensive victim service and support centers at one
central site where law enforcement officers, attorneys, private and public victim
service organizations, and other relevant groups can collaborate on improving safety,
access to services, and confidentiality for victims and families of domestic violence,
dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The 11th purpose is to develop and
implement policies and training that help law enforcement personnel and the
judiciary recognize, investigate, and prosecute sexual assault, and especially to

CRS-14
recognize the threat of a perpetrator of such behavior repeating the crime. The 12th
purpose is to develop, enhance, and maintain protection order registries. The 13th
purpose is to develop human immunodeficiency virus testing programs for sexual
assault perpetrators, as well as notification and counseling protocols.
For grants to encourage arrest and enforce protection orders, the act authorizes
appropriations of $75 million for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011. A state
would not be entitled to 5% of funds allocated under this part (1) unless it certifies
that it has a law or regulation that permits a victim of a sexual assault to request the
state or unit of local government to test the accused perpetrator of the assault within
48 hours of when an information or indictment is presented for the crime; it notifies
the victim or parent and guardian of the victim, and the defendant of the test results
as soon as practicable; and it provides appropriate followup tests for HIV; or (2) it
assures the Attorney General that it will comply with these requirements by the date
on which the next session of the state legislature ends or within two years, whichever
is later. A minimum of 10% of funds appropriated each fiscal year for grants under
this section must be available for grants to Indian tribal governments.
VAWA 2005 adds a new section on Training, Technical Assistance, and Data
Collection, which provides that of appropriations under this part, not less than 5%
and up to 8% must be available for providing training, technical assistance, and data
collection to improve the capacity of grantees, subgrantees, and other entities.
Sec. 103. VAWA 2005 amends Legal Assistance for Victims, providing that
civil and criminal legal assistance be made available to provide effective aid to adult
and youth victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It
limits criminal legal assistance provided under this section to criminal matters on
domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The act provides grants
to tribal and territorial organizations. Further, it adds territorial organizations to the
list of entities that must be consulted in developing a training program to assist
victims. The act authorizes to be appropriated $65 million for each of fiscal years
2007 through 2011, respectively, for this section, providing that a minimum of 10%
of these funds each fiscal year must be for grants to assist adult and youth victims
who are members of Indian tribes.
Sec. 104. Ensuring Crime Victim Access to Legal Services amends the
Department of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1998 (P.L. 105-119; 111 Stat. 2510) by, among other provisions,
providing legal services to a victim of sexual assault or trafficking in the United
States or to a victim who qualifies for immigration relief.
Sec. 105. VAWA 2005 creates a new Violence Against Women Act Court
Training and Improvements. To improve court responses to adult, youth, and
minor domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, the act
authorizes grants for the following uses: (1) to improve internal civil and criminal
court functions, responses, practices, and procedures; (2) for education for court-
based and court-related personnel on issues relating to victims’ needs, including
safety, security, privacy, confidentiality and economic independence, as well as
information about perpetrator behavior and best practices for holding perpetrators
accountable; and (3) for collaboration and training with federal, state, and local

CRS-15
public agencies and officials as well as nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations to
improve implementation and enforcement of relevant federal, state, tribal, territorial
and local law. The 4th use of grants is to enable courts, court-based, or court-related
programs to develop new or enhance current court infrastructure; community-based
initiatives within the court system; offender management, monitoring and
accountability programs; safe and confidential information-storage and -sharing
databases within and between court systems; education and outreach programs to
improve community access (including enhanced access for underserved populations);
and other projects likely to improve court responses to domestic and dating violence,
sexual assault, and stalking. The 5th use of grants is to provide technical assistance
and data collection to tribal, federal, state, territorial, or local courts that wish to
improve their practices and procedures or to develop new programs.
Eligible grantees are federal, state, territorial, tribal, or local courts or court-
based programs. The act requires that national, state, tribal, territorial, or local
private, nonprofit organizations have demonstrated expertise in developing and
providing judicial education about domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, or
stalking. Applicants for grants must certify in writing that (1) any courts or court-
based personnel working directly with or making decisions about adult or youth
parties experiencing domestic and dating violence, sexual assault or stalking have
completed or will complete education about those issues; (2) any education program
is developed with significant input from a national, tribal, state, territorial or local
victim services provider or coalition; and (3) the grantees do not require mediation
or counseling between offenders and victims physically together in cases where
domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking is an issue.
The act requires the Attorney General, through the Director of OVW, to develop
a national education curriculum for use by state and national judicial educators to
ensure that all courts and court personnel have access to appropriate information
about relevant federal, state, territorial or local law, promising practices, procedures,
and policies on court responses to adult and youth victims of domestic and dating
violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
The act also requires the Attorney General, through OVW, to develop education
curricula for tribal court judges and to ensure that all tribal courts have relevant
information about promising practices, procedures, and policies and law on tribal
court responses to adult and youth victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual
assault, and stalking.
For this new subtitle, the act authorizes to be appropriated $5 million for each
of fiscal years 2007 to 2011, of which a minimum of 10% annually must be used for
grants to tribal courts, tribal court-related programs and tribal nonprofits.
Sec. 106. VAWA 2005 amends existing provisions that give full faith and
credit to the protection orders of other states or tribes, by also adding territories. The
act clarifies that any protection order issued by the court of one state, Indian tribe or
territory must be accorded full faith and credit by the court and law enforcement
personnel of the other state, Indian tribal government, or territory and must be
enforced by the court and law enforcement personnel of the other state, Indian tribal
government, or territory. Further, the act prohibits a state, Indian tribe, or territory

CRS-16
from publishing on the Internet any information on the registration or filing of a
protection order, restraining order, or injunction in either the issuing or enforcing
state, tribal, or territorial jurisdiction, if publication of such information is likely to
reveal the identity or location of the person being protected.
VAWA 2005 further amends existing law by deleting “protection order” from
each place it appears and adding “protection order, restraining order, or injunction.”
It also redefines “protection order” and expands the definition of “spouse or intimate
partner” to include a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic
or intimate nature with the abuser, as determined by the length of the relationship, the
type of relationship, and the frequency of interaction between the persons involved
in the relationship.
Sec. 107. VAWA 2005 creates a new subtitle, Privacy Protections for Victims
of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Violence, and Stalking. This
subtitle requires the Attorney General, through the Director of OVW, to award
grants to states, Indian tribes, territories or local agencies or nonprofit,
nongovernmental organizations to ensure that personally identifying information of
adult, youth, and child victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking, and
dating violence is not released or disclosed to the detriment of such victimized
persons. Eligible grantees include jurisdictions or agencies with jurisdiction having
authority or responsibility for developing or maintaining public databases, registries
or victim notification systems, nonprofit nongovernmental victim advocacy
organizations with expertise on confidentiality, privacy and information technology,
states or state agencies, local governments or agencies, Indian tribal entities,
territorial governmental or private entities or nonprofit nongovernmental victim
advocacy organizations. For this subtitle, the act authorizes to be appropriated $5
million for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011, of which 10% annually must be
for grants to Indian tribes for programs to assist victims of domestic and dating
violence, stalking, and sexual assault; and a minimum of 5% for grants to
organizations with expertise in confidentiality, privacy, and technology issues that
affect victims of domestic and dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault, and
technical assistance and training to grantees and non-grantees on how to improve
safety, privacy, confidentiality, and technology to protect victimized persons.
Sec. 108. VAWA 2005 reauthorizes the Sex Offender Management Program
at $5 million for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.
Sec. 109. VAWA 2005 also reauthorizes the Stalker Database Program at $3
million for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.
Sec. 110. VAWA 2005 reauthorizes federal victim assistants for prosecuting
sex and domestic violence crimes in the District of Columbia, providing $1 million
for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.
Sec. 111. Grants for Law Enforcement Training Programs are authorized
by VAWA 2005. It authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to states or local
governments for training state and local law enforcement personnel in identifying and
protecting victims of trafficking. The act limits spending on administrative expenses
to a maximum of 5% of the total amount of funding received by a grantee. The act,

CRS-17
however, provides that nothing in this section may be construed to restrict the ability
of an eligible entity to apply for or obtain funding from any other sources to carry out
training described in this section. It authorizes to be appropriated $10 million for
each of the fiscal years 2007 through 2011 for this section.
Sec. 112. The Court Appointed Special Advocate Program (CASA) is
amended, changing the date from January 1, 1995, to January 1, 2010, by which
CASAs would be available to all children who are victims of child abuse or neglect
who need one. The act authorizes state and local CASA programs to request criminal
background checks from the FBI’s criminal history database for prospective
volunteers; however, the requesting program would be responsible for reasonable
costs associated with the federal records check. The act also requires the DOJ
Inspector General to report to Congress, by December 2006, on activities funded by
the National CASA Association and a comparison of outcomes between cases where
the CASAs are or are not involved. The act authorizes appropriations of $12 million
for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 for CASA.
Sec. 113. The Preventing Cyberstalking section of VAWA 2005 amends the
Communications Act of 1934, relating to telephone harassment, by expanding the
definition of harassment to include voice-over Internet telephone calls.
Sec. 114. The act revises the current Criminal Provisions Related to Stalking
by adding language directed at a person who travels in interstate, foreign commerce
or within the U.S. maritime and territorial jurisdictions with the intent to kill, injure,
harass, intimidate, or place under surveillance an individual and who, thereby, causes
substantial emotional harm to the individual. New language also addresses stalking
an individual by using any interactive computer service to engage in conduct that
causes substantial emotional harm to an individual. The act provides a minimum
penalty of one year for whoever commits the crime of stalking in violation of a
temporary or permanent civil or criminal injunction, restraining order, no-contact
order, or any other order described in 18 U.S.C. 2266.
Sec. 115. VAWA 2005 establishes a new Repeat Offender Provision section
of the U.S. criminal code, providing a maximum term of imprisonment of twice the
term otherwise provided under this chapter for someone with a prior domestic
violence or stalking offense conviction.
Sec. 116. The Prohibiting Dating Violence section of VAWA 2005 amends
the U.S. criminal code to prohibit a person from crossing a state line with the intent
to injure, harass, or intimidate a person’s intimate partner or dating partner, and
protects an intimate partner or dating partner from any potential harms that could
result from such travel or conduct. It defines a dating partner as a person who is or
has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the abuser
based on the length of the relationship, the type of relationship, and the frequency of
interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.
Sec. 117. Prohibiting Violence in Special Maritime and Territorial
Jurisdiction amends the U.S. criminal code to prohibit domestic violence within
U.S. maritime and territorial jurisdictions.

CRS-18
Sec. 118. Updating Protection Order Definition of VAWA 2005 amends
criminal information collection requirements for the FBI by inserting a new
definition of the term “protection order” that includes restraining order and sexual
violence. It also provides that the term protection order includes “any support, child
custody or visitation provisions, orders, remedies, or relief issued as part of a
protection order, restraining order, or stay away injunction pursuant to state, tribal,
territorial, or local law authorizing the issuance of protection orders, restraining
orders, or injunctions to protect victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual
assault, or stalking.”
Sec. 119. In the GAO Study and Report section, VAWA 2005 requires the
Comptroller General to conduct a study to determine the extent to which men,
women, youth, and children are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual
assault, and stalking and the availability of services to such victims. Within a year
of enactment, the Comptroller General must submit to Congress a report on activities
carried out under this section.
Sec. 120. VAWA 2005 authorizes Grants for Outreach to Underserved
Populations, which authorize the Attorney General, through the Director of OVW,
to award grants to eligible entities to conduct local, regional, or national public
information campaigns that address adult, youth, or minor domestic violence, dating
violence, sexual assault, stalking, or trafficking within tribal and underserved
populations and immigrant communities. This campaign should include information
on services available to victims and how to prevent or reduce domestic, dating, and
sexual violence, stalking, or trafficking. The act authorizes to be appropriated $2
million for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 for this section.
Sec. 121 of VAWA 2005 establishes a new grant program to enhance
culturally and linguistically specific services for victims of domestic violence,
dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking
. It funds this new program by
requiring the Attorney General, through the Director of OVW, to take 5% of
appropriated amounts from five other VAWA programs — Grants to Encourage
Arrest Policies, Legal Assistance for Victims, Rural Domestic Violence and Child
Abuse Enforcement Assistance, Older Battered Women, and Disabled Women —
and combine them into the new grant program. The Director awards two-year grants
to community-based programs that address community-based efforts to address
distinctive cultural and linguistic responses to violence, with a possible two-year
extension of a grant. The Director must also provide technical assistance and training
to grantees. The act requires the Director to issue a biennial report on the distribution
of program funding, progress in increasing services to victims of violence, and types
of culturally and linguistically accessible programs, strategies, technical assistance,
and training developed or enhanced through this program. In addition, the Director
is required to award a contract or cooperative agreement to evaluate programs under
this section.

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Title II — Improving Services for Victims of Domestic Violence,
Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking.
Sec. 202. VAWA 2005 creates a new Sexual Assault Services Program.
Under this section, four grant programs are authorized to assist states, tribes, and
territories in providing intervention, advocacy, support services, and related
assistance to victims of sexual assault, their family and household members, and
others collaterally affected by the victimization, except for the perpetrator of the
crime. In addition, the program would provide technical assistance and training on
sexual assault to federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local governments, law
enforcement agencies, courts, professionals in legal, social service and health care
settings, nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, and other individuals and
organizations seeking such assistance.
Under the first grant program, the Attorney General will award funds to states
and territories for establishing, maintaining, and expanding rape crisis centers or
other programs and projects to assist sexual assault victims. Intervention and related
assistance includes 24 hour hotline services providing crisis intervention services and
referral; accompaniment and advocacy through medical, criminal justice, and social
support systems; crisis intervention, short-term individual and group support services
and comprehensive service coordination and supervision in assisting sexual assault
victims and family or household members; information and referral to assist a sexual
assault victim and family or household members; community-based, linguistically
and culturally specific services and support mechanisms, including outreach activities
for racial and ethnic, and other underserved communities; and development and
distribution of materials on issues related to these described services.
Of funds available for this grant, the Attorney General must allocate to each
state not less than 1.5%, and the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, the
District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana
Islands must be allocated 0.125% of the available funds.
The Attorney General is also to award, on a competitive basis, grants for
culturally specific programs addressing sexual assault. To be eligible for these
grants, an entity must be a private, nonprofit organization that focuses primarily on
culturally specific communities; have documented organizational experience in the
area of sexual assault intervention or be in partnership with an organization with such
experience; be expert in developing community-based, linguistically and culturally
specific outreach and intervention services relevant for the specific communities for
which assistance is being provided or has the capacity to link to existing services in
the community that are tailored to the needs of culturally specific communities; and
have an advisory board or steering committee and staff with members who reflect the
targeted racial and ethnic community. The Attorney General can not use more than
2.5% of funds available for this subsection for administration, monitoring, and
evaluation of grants. Up to 5% of funds available for this subsection must be used
for technical assistance by a national, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization or
organizations whose primary focus and expertise is addressing sexual assault within
racial and ethnic communities.

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Under the third grant program of this section, the Attorney General is authorized
to award grants to state, territorial, and tribal sexual assault coalitions to assist
in supporting their establishment, maintenance, and expansion. A minimum of 10%
of funds available for this grant program must be used for grants to tribal sexual
assault coalitions; of remaining funds, the Attorney General must allocate 1/56 to
each state and territorial coalition.
The fourth grant program authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to
tribes and tribal organizations to operate sexual assault programs or projects in
Indian country and Alaska Native villages for establishment, maintenance, and
expansion of programs and projects that assist victims of sexual assault. Grants are
for entities within Indian country and Alaskan native villages that provide direct
intervention and related assistance.
For all activities under the new sexual assault services program, VAWA 2005
authorizes to be appropriated $50 million for each of the fiscal years 2007 through
2011. Total annual appropriations for each fiscal year are to be allocated as follows:
the Attorney General can use no more than 2.5% for evaluation, monitoring, and
administrative costs; not more than 2.5% can be used for technical assistance to
grantees and subgrantees; not less than 65% must be used for rape crisis center grants
to states and territories; not less than 10% must be used for grants to state, territorial,
and tribal sexual assault coalitions; not less than 10% must be used for grants to
tribes; and not less than 10% must be used for grants for culturally specific programs
that address sexual assault.
Sec. 203. Amendments to the Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse
Enforcement Assistance Program establish that the program’s purposes are to (1)
identify, assess, and respond to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic, dating
and sexual violence and stalking; (2) establish and expand nonprofit,
nongovernmental, state, tribal, territorial, and local government victim services in
rural communities to child, youth, and adult victims; and (3) to increase the safety
and well-being of women and children in rural communities. VAWA 2005
authorizes the Attorney General, acting through the Director of OVW, to award
grants to states, Indian tribes, local governments and nonprofit public or private
entities (including tribal nonprofit organizations) for carrying out programs that serve
rural areas or rural communities. Communities can address such violence by
implementing, expanding, and establishing cooperative efforts and projects among
law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim advocacy groups, and other related
parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of domestic and dating violence, sexual
assault, and stalking; providing treatment, counseling, and other long- and short-term
assistance to adult, youth, and minor victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual
assault, and stalking in rural communities; and working in cooperation with the
community to develop education and prevention strategies directed at such issues.
The program is renamed the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual
Assault, Stalking and Child Abuse Enforcement Assistance Program.
The act provides that a minimum of 10% of the total amount made available for
each fiscal year for rural domestic violence programs must be allocated for grants to
Indian tribes or tribal organizations, and that a minimum of 25% of the total amount
made available for each fiscal year must be allocated for grants that meaningfully

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address sexual assault in rural communities. This minimum percentage required to
address sexual assault is increased to 30% in any fiscal year for which $45 million
or more is appropriated; 35% in any fiscal year for which $50 million or more is
appropriated; or 40% in any fiscal year for which $55 million or more is
appropriated.
Of amounts appropriated for each fiscal year for this program, a maximum of
8% may be used by the Director of OVW for costs of technical assistance; and a
minimum of 25% must be available for technical assistance to sexual assault
grantees, provided by a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization whose focus and
expertise is in addressing sexual assault.
In awarding rural domestic violence grants, the act requires the Director of
OVW to give priority to the needs of underserved populations. A minimum of 75%
of the total amount made available for each fiscal year for this section must be
allocated to eligible entities in rural states. There is authorized to be appropriated
$55 million for each of the fiscal years 2007-2011 for this section.
Sec. 204. Training and Services to End Violence Against Women with
Disabilities amends existing law and authorizes the Attorney General, in consultation
with the Secretary of HHS, to award grants (1) for training, consultation, and
information on domestic and dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault against
individuals with disabilities, and (2) for enhancing direct services to such individuals.
Specifically, funds can be used to (1) provide personnel, training, technical
assistance, advocacy, intervention, risk reduction, and prevention of domestic and
dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault against disabled individuals; 2) conduct
outreach activities to ensure that disabled individuals who are victims receive
appropriate assistance; 3) conduct cross-training for victim service organizations,
governmental agencies, courts, law enforcement, and nonprofit, nongovernmental
organizations serving disabled individuals about risk reduction, intervention,
prevention, and the nature of domestic and dating violence, stalking and sexual
assault; 4) provide technical assistance to assist with modifications to existing
policies, protocols, and procedures to ensure equal access to the services, programs,
and activities of victim service organizations for disabled individuals; 5) provide
training and technical assistance on the requirements of shelters and victim services
organizations under federal antidiscrimination laws; 6) modify facilities, purchase
equipment, and provide personnel so that shelters and victim service organizations
can accommodate the needs of disabled individuals; 7) provide advocacy and
intervention services for disabled individuals who are victims of domestic and dating
violence, stalking, and sexual assault; and (8) develop model programs providing
advocacy and intervention services within organizations serving disabled individuals
who are victims of domestic and dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault or
stalking.
There is authorized to be appropriated $10 million for each of the fiscal years
2007 through 2011.
Sec. 205. Training and Services to End Violence Against Women in Later
Life amends existing law and authorizes the Attorney General, through the Director
of OVW, to award grants for (1) training programs to assist law enforcement,

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prosecutors, governmental agencies, victim assistants, and relevant officers of
federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local courts in recognizing, addressing,
investigating, and prosecuting elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation of domestic and
dating violence, stalking and sexual assault, and stalking against victims 50 years old
or older; providing or enhancing elder victims of this abuse; (2) providing or
enhancing services for victims of violence who are 50 years of age or older; (3)
creating or supporting multidisciplinary collaborative community responses to
victims of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation who are 50 years of age or older; and
4) conducting cross-training for victim service organizations, governmental agencies,
courts, law enforcement, and nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations serving
victims of elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation who are 50 years of age or older.
For this program, there is authorized to be appropriated $10 million for each of the
fiscal years 2007 through 2011.

Sec. 206. Strengthening the National Domestic Violence Hotline amends the
Family Violence Prevention and Services Act to provide technology and
telecommunication training and assistance for all persons affiliated with the National
Domestic Violence Hotline.
Title III — Services, Protection, and Justice for Young Victims of
Violence.
Sec. 302. The existing Rape Prevention and Education program is
reauthorized at $80 million in each fiscal year from 2007-2011, and $1.5 million for
collecting and distributing sexual assault information through the National Sexual
Violence Resource Center.
Sec. 303. Services, Education, Protection, and Justice for Young Victims of
Violence adds a new subtitle to VAWA, authorizing four new programs. Services
to Advocate For and Respond to Youth
requires the Attorney General, in
consultation with HHS, to make three-year grants to eligible entities to conduct
domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking programs that serve 12-
to 24-year-old teen and young adult victims of such violence. Program grantees must
submit a report to the HHS Secretary. The act authorizes $15 million to be
appropriated for each fiscal year from 2007 through 2011 for program grants.
Another program under this subtitle, Access to Justice for Youth, requires the
Attorney General, through OVW, to make two-year grants to eligible entities to
encourage cross training and collaborations between the courts, domestic violence
and sexual assault service providers, and other similar groups working with law
enforcement agencies to create and implement policies, practices, and procedures to
protect and provide more widespread and effective service for 12- to 24-year-old
victims of dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The act
authorizes $5 million to be appropriated for each of fiscal years 2007-2011 for such
grants.
Grants for Training and Collaboration on the Intersection Between
Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment are three-year competitive grants
awarded to eligible entities for training and collaboration in order to enhance their
responses to families in which both child maltreatment and domestic and dating

CRS-23
violence occur. The Attorney General, in awarding such grants, must consider the
needs of underserved populations. The act authorizes $5 million to be appropriated
for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.
Under Grants to Combat Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual
Assault, and Stalking in Middle and High Schools or Supporting Teens through
Education and Protection Act of 2005 (STEP)
, the Attorney General is authorized,
through the Director of OVW, to award grants to middle and high schools that work
with domestic violence and sexual assault experts. These grants are for training
school personnel, developing and implementing policies on safe responses to
students who are victims of domestic and dating violence, providing educational
programming, supporting mentoring programs, and assessing the impact of programs
and policies created under this section. On a competitive basis, the OVW Director
is authorized to make three-year grants to eligible entities. In support of this grant
program, Congress authorizes to be appropriated $5 million for each of fiscal years
2007 through 2011.
Section 304. Grants to Combat Violent Crimes on Campuses amends
Section 826 of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998 regarding grants to
combat violent crimes against women on campus. The Attorney General, through
OVW, is authorized to award three-year competitive grants to individual higher
education institutions in amounts of not more than $500,000, and for consortia of
such institutions not more than $1 million. According to provisions of the law, no
higher education institution will be eligible for a grant unless it complies with
requirements under the Higher Education Act of 1965, related to mandatory reporting
of campus security policy and crime statistics. Up to $200,000 of total appropriated
grant funds for fiscal years 2007 through 2011 may be used for technical assistance
to comply with these mandatory reporting requirements. Not later than 180 days
after the end of the fiscal year for which grants are awarded, the Attorney General is
required to submit a report to Congress with information on grants awarded. The act
authorizes $12 million for FY2007 and $15 million for each fiscal year from 2008-
2011 for such grants.
Sec. 305. Juvenile Justice amends the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 5633(a)) to require an analysis of gender-specific
services to prevent and treat juvenile delinquency, including the types of such
services available and the need for them.
Sec. 306. VAWA 2005 amends the existing Safe Havens for Children Pilot
Program by deleting reference to the program as a pilot. It requires the Attorney
General to award grants through OVW. The act includes dating violence as a
situation for supervised visitation and the safe visitation exchange of children.
Furthermore, it adds provisions to (1) protect children from the trauma of witnessing
domestic or dating violence, or from experiencing abduction, injury, or death during
parent and child visitation exchanges; (2) protect parents or caretakers who are
victims of domestic and dating violence from experiencing further violence, abuse,
and threats during child visitation exchanges; and (3) protect children from the
trauma of experiencing sexual assault or other forms of physical assault or abuse
during parent and child visitation and visitation exchanges. The law authorizes $20
million for each fiscal year from 2007-2011 for this program.

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Title IV — Strengthening America’s Families by Preventing
Violence.
Sec. 401. VAWA 2005 adds a new subtitle to VAWA, Strengthening
America’s Families by Preventing Violence Against Women and Children,
which contains three new programs. The purpose of this subtitle is to prevent violent
crimes against family members, and domestic and dating violence, sexual assault,
and stalking, including when committed against children and youth. Other purposes
of the subtitle are to increase resources and services in order to reduce the effects of
exposure to violence on children and youth; develop and establish education and
services programs to prevent children in at-risk families from becoming victims or
perpetrators of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; promote
programs for children and youth that would end the cycle of violence and develop
mutually respectful, nonviolent relationships; and encourage community-based
groups to work with governmental agencies serving children and youth, health and
mental health service providers, and service providers of domestic and dating
violence, sexual assault, and stalking victims to prevent violence. In each of the three
new programs, the Attorney General is required to consider the needs of underserved
populations and to award a minimum amount of funds to Indian tribes and for
technical assistance to grantees.
Under this subtitle, Grants to Assist Children and Youth Exposed to
Violence authorize the Attorney General, through OVW and in collaboration with
the HHS Secretary, to make two-year competitive grants to eligible entities for
alleviating the effects of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking
on children exposed to such violence, and for reducing the risk of becoming future
victims or perpetrators of such violence. The act authorizes $20 million for the
grants for each fiscal year from 2007-2011.
Development of Curricula and Pilot Programs for Home Visitation Projects
authorize the Attorney General, through the Director of OVW and in collaboration
with HHS, to award two-year grants on a competitive basis to home visitation
programs that collaborate with victim service providers to develop and implement
model policies and procedures for training home visitation service providers on
addressing domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in families
experiencing such violence or at risk of becoming violent. For this section, the act
authorizes to be appropriated $7 million for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.
Provisions of the third new program under this section, Engaging Men and
Youth in Preventing Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and
Stalking
, authorize the Attorney General, acting through the OVW Director and in
collaboration with HHS, to award two-year grants on a competitive basis to eligible
entities for developing or enhancing programs that engage men and youth in
preventing domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by helping them
to develop mutually respectful, nonviolent relationships. VAWA 2005 authorizes
to be appropriated $10 million for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 for this
section.
Sec. 402. Calling for a Study Conducted by the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, VAWA 2005 requires the HHS Secretary, acting through the

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National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, to make grants to entities in support of research to study prevention
and intervention programs that foster an understanding of sexual and domestic
violence committed by and against adults, youth, and children. Such entities would
be required to include sexual assault coalitions and programs, research groups, tribal
organizations, and academic institutions. Research conducted under this section
must include evaluation and study of best practices for reducing and preventing
violence against women and children, including underserved communities. The
measure authorizes $2 million for each fiscal year from 2006 through 2011 for such
research grants.
Sec. 403. Public Awareness Campaign requires the Attorney General, acting
through OVW, to make grants to states for carrying out a campaign to increase public
awareness of issues on domestic violence against pregnant women. The act
authorizes to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal
years 2006 through 2010.
Title V — Strengthening the Health Care System’s Response to
Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking.
Sec. 503. Training and Education of Health Professionals in Domestic and
Sexual Violence contains provisions that are intended to improve the health care
system’s response to domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking
through training and education for health care providers, developing comprehensive
public health responses to violence against women and children, increasing the
number of women screened, identified, and treated for lifetime exposure to violence,
and expanding research on effective interventions in the health care setting. For
training and education of health professionals in domestic and sexual violence, the
act authorizes appropriations of $3 million for each of fiscal years 2007 through
2011.
Section 504. Grants to Foster Public Health Responses to Domestic
Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Grants require the
Secretary of HHS , acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, to award grants to eligible state, tribal, territorial or local entities to
strengthen their response to domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and
stalking. Grants awarded under this section must not exceed two years. The act
authorizes funding of $5 million for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011 for
research on effective interventions in the health care setting.
Sec. 505. VAWA adds a new section on Research on Effective Interventions
in the Healthcare Setting. This section authorizes the Secretary of HHS, acting
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to award
grants and contracts for funding research on effective interventions in health care
settings that prevent domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault across the
life span, prevent the health effects of such violence, and improve the safety and
health of victims of such violence. To carry out this section, the act authorizes to be
appropriated $5 million for each of fiscal years 2007 through 2011.

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Title VI — Housing Opportunities and Safety for Battered Women
and Children.
Sec. 601. VAWA 2005 addresses the safety of victims of domestic, dating, and
sexual violence and stalking who live in homeless shelters, public housing, assisted
housing, tribally designated housing, or other emergency, transitional, permanent or
affordable housing; is intended to create long-term housing solutions for victims of
such violence; encourages collaboration among victim service providers and housing
providers; and enables public and other entities that provide housing to battered
victims to respond appropriately to domestic, dating, and sexual violence and
stalking while maintaining a safe environment for all housing residents. The law
amends VAWA adding a new subtitle, Addressing the Housing Needs of Victims
of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking
, that creates
two new programs to provide long-term housing for victims of domestic and sexual
violence and to protect the safety of these housing residents.
Collaborative Grants to Develop Long-Term Housing for Victims requires
the Secretary of HHS, acting through the Administration on Children, Youth and
Families (ACYF) and in consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements for a
minimum of two years to eligible entities to develop long-term housing options for
adult and youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and
stalking, who are currently homeless or at risk of becoming so. It requires the
Secretary of HHS to award funds in amounts not less than $25,000 per year and not
more than $1 million per year.
In addition, each eligible entity applying for funds under this section must
demonstrate that it is a coalition or partnership, applying jointly, and that it must
include a domestic violence victim service provider, a homeless service provider, a
nonprofit, nongovernmental community housing development organization or a
Department of Agriculture rural housing services program or a tribally designated
housing entity or tribal housing consortium in the absence of a homeless service
provider on tribal lands. An eligible entity may also include a dating violence, sexual
assault, or stalking victim service provider; housing developers, corporations, state
housing finance agencies, other housing agencies, and associations representing
landlords; a public housing agency or tribally designated housing entity; tenant
organizations in public or tribally designated housing; other nonprofit,
nongovernmental organizations participating in HUD’s Continuum of Care process;
a state, tribal, territorial or local government or government agency; and any other
agency or nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations with the capacity to effectively
help adult and youth victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, or
stalking. For each of FY2007 through FY2011, $10 million is authorized for these
collaborative grants.
Grants to Combat Violence Against Women in Public and Assisted Housing
seek to assist eligible grantees in responding appropriately to domestic and dating
violence, sexual assault, and stalking so that victims of such crimes are not denied
or do not lose housing as a result of being a victim. The Attorney General, acting
through the Director of OVW and through ACYF and in consultation with the
Secretary of HUD, on a competitive basis can award grants and contracts for a

CRS-27
minimum of two years to eligible grantees to promote full and equal access to and
use of housing by adult and youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence,
sexual assault, and stalking. Eligible grantees include public housing agencies,
public housing resident management corporations, projects owned by public housing
agencies, tribally designated housing entities, and private owners or managers of
assisted housing. Grantees must certify that they do not limit residents’ rights to call
for assistance in case of domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; that
they will give preference in housing to victims of such violence; that they do not
discriminate for reasons related to such violence; and that their plans are developed
with input from victim service providers, tenant organizations, culturally specific
service providers, and domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions. Grants are to
be used to develop and implement policies, practices, and procedures, making
physical improvements or changes, and developing collaborations for enabling
victims of violence to access and live safely in assisted housing and to have their
confidentiality protected. For each of FY2007 through FY2011, $10 million is
authorized for these grants.
Sec. 602. Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Domestic
Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, or Stalking reauthorizes the existing
transitional housing program administered by DOJ at $40 million per year for
FY2007 through FY2011. VAWA 2005 amends the program to provide assistance
for up to 24 months, rather than 18. The act requires the Attorney General to consult
with HUD and HHS in awarding funds for this program, and also makes clear that
participation in support services provided through the program is voluntary.
Sec. 603. This section, Public Housing Authority Plans Reporting
Requirement, requires public housing agencies to include in their five-year plans a
statement of goals, objectives, policies, or programs that will enable them to serve
the needs of child and adult victims of domestic or dating violence, sexual assault,
or stalking.
Sec. 604. Housing Strategies amends the Cranston-Gonzales National
Affordable Housing Act, which requires states and localities to develop housing
strategies to include the victims of domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, or
stalking among the groups whose housing needs should be projected and addressed.
Sec. 605. Amendments to the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
included in VAWA 2005 require that victim service providers that receive HUD
homeless assistance funds may not disclose personally identifying information about
a client to the Homeless Management Information System.
Sec. 606. Amendments to the Low-Income Housing Assistance Voucher
Program prohibit discrimination in the Section 8 program against victims of
domestic or dating violence, sexual assault or stalking; provide that incidents of
violence or stalking are not grounds for eviction; and provide that criminal activity
related to violence or stalking are not grounds for evicting a tenant who is the victim
or whose family member is the victim. The act allows landlords to bifurcate a lease
if necessary to evict a perpetrator of violence, and also makes clear that landlords still
have the authority to evict victims of domestic violence for reasons unrelated to the

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violence or when necessary to protect other tenants or employees from actual or
imminent threat.
Sec. 607. Amendments to the Public Housing Program are similar to the
amendments to Section 8, described immediately above.
Title VII — Providing Economic Security for Victims of Violence.
Sec. 701. VAWA 2005 creates a new subtitle, National Resource Center.
Under this program, the Attorney General, acting through the Director of OVW, must
award a grant to an eligible nonprofit nongovernmental entity or tribal organization
for establishment and operation of a national resource center on workplace responses
to assist victims of domestic and sexual violence. The recipient of this grant can use
funds for staff salaries, travel expenses, equipment, printing, and other reasonable
expenses necessary to develop, maintain, and disseminate to employers and labor
organizations information concerning workplace responses to assist victims of
domestic or sexual violence. These responses may include providing training to
promote a better understanding of appropriate workplace assistance to domestic or
sexual violence victims; providing conferences and other educational opportunities;
and developing protocols and model workplace policies. The compliance or
noncompliance of any employer or labor organization with any protocol or policy
developed by an entity or organization under this section shall not serve as a basis for
liability in tort or by any other means. The act also provides that no protocol or
policy developed by an entity or organization may be referenced or enforced as a
workplace safety standard by any federal, state, or other governmental agency.
Authorized funding for this section is $1 million for each of fiscal years 2007 through
2011.
Title IX — Safety for Indian Women.13
Title IX of VAWA 2005 focuses on violence against Indian women. It requires
DOJ consultation with tribes, annually, and DOJ studies covering tribes and certain
violent crimes against Indian women; grants tribes access to DOJ crime-related
databases; authorizes Indian tribal grants funded by enlarged set-asides from other
VAWA programs; creates an Indian-related deputy director in OVW; and amends
certain criminal laws and laws relating to Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) law
enforcement powers.
Sec. 903. Consultation requires the Attorney General to consult annually with
Indian tribal governments on federal administration of VAWA tribal funds and
programs, and requires the Attorney General and the Secretary of HHS to solicit
recommendations from Indian tribes concerning: federal administration of these
funds and programs, enhancing the safety of Indian women from domestic and dating
violence, sexual assault, and stalking strengthen, and strengthening the federal
response to such violence.
13 This section was prepared by Roger Walke, Specialist in American National Government
at CRS.

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Sec. 904. Analysis and Research on Violence Against Indian Women of
Title IX requires that National Institute of Justice, in consultation with OVW,
conduct a national baseline study on domestic and dating violence, sexual assault,
stalking, and murder of Indian women, to include an evaluation of, and
recommendations for improving, the effectiveness of federal, state, tribal and local
responses to these crimes. The Attorney General, through OVW, must establish a
task force representing tribal governments and organizations to assist in developing
and implementing this baseline study. For the national baseline study, Title IX
authorizes to be appropriated $1 million for each of fiscal years 2007 and 2008.
Title IX also requires the Secretary of HHS, acting through the Indian Health
Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to conduct a study to
obtain a national projection of the incidence of injuries and homicides resulting from
domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking against American Indian
and Alaska Native women as well as the cost of providing health care for those
injuries. The act authorizes to be appropriated $500,000 for each of fiscal years 2007
and 2008 for this purpose.
The reports describing these studies’ findings and recommendations are to be
submitted within two years to the Senate Committees on Indian Affairs and on the
Judiciary and to the House Judiciary Committee.
Sec. 905. Tracking of Violence Against Indian Women. Federal law requires
the Attorney General to collect crime information and disseminate the data to federal,
state, and local governments, and penal and certain other institutions. To track
violence against Indian women, Title IX requires the Attorney General to allow
Indian law enforcement agencies both to enter information into these national crime
information databases for cases involving domestic and dating violence, sexual
assault, and stalking, and to obtain information from the databases.
Further, Title IX requires that the Attorney General develop and maintain a
national tribal sex offender registry and a tribal protection order registry, through a
contract with any interested Indian tribe, tribal organization, or tribal nonprofit
organization.
The act authorizes to be appropriated for these purposes $1 million for each of
fiscal years 2007 through 2011.
Sec. 906. Grants to Indian Tribal Governments establishes a DOJ program
of competitive grants to Indian tribal governments and tribal organizations for a
broad set of purposes, including developing effective governmental strategies to
curtail violent crimes against, and increase the safety of, Indian women, consistent
with tribal law and custom; increasing tribal capacity to respond to domestic and
dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; strengthening tribal justice systems;
enhancing services to Indian women victims; developing education and prevention
strategies concerning both violence and the needs of children exposed to domestic
violence; providing supervised and safe visitation programs for children; and
providing transitional housing for victims of domestic and dating violence, sexual
assault, and stalking. Applicants for the grants must demonstrate their proposals
were developed in consultation with nonprofit, nongovernmental Indian victim

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services programs or, if no such programs exists there, through consultation with
women in the community to be served.
Title IX provides funding for the new Tribal Grant Program by doubling
existing set-asides for tribes in five VAWA programs (from 5% to 10%), creating a
10% set-aside in a sixth VAWA program, and then directing the funds to the Tribal
Grant Program. The six programs with new 10% set-asides, and their new total
authorizations, are as follows (the first five programs already have 5% set-asides for
tribal governments):
! STOP grants (total authorization: $225 million annually for FY2007-
2011),
! grants to encourage arrest policies and enforcement of protection
orders (total authorization: $75 million annually for FY2007-2011),
! rural domestic violence and child abuse enforcement assistance
grants (total authorization: $55 million annually for FY2007-2011),
! the safe havens for children program (total authorization: $20
million annually for FY2007-2011),
! the legal assistance for victims improvements program (total
authorization: $65 million annually for FY2007-2011), and
! transitional housing assistance grants for child victims of domestic
violence (total authorization: $40 million annually for FY2007-
2011).
Based on the set-asides, the total appropriation authorized for the Tribal Grant
Program is $48 million per year for FY2007-2011.
Sec. 907. Tribal Deputy in the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW)
establishes within OVW a Deputy Director for Tribal Affairs. Duties for the new
deputy director include administering grants and contracts with tribes and tribal
organizations; ensuring that, for OVW grants and related contracts benefitting
multiple tribes, all benefitting tribes approve before the grant is made; ensuring that
adequate training, technical assistance, and data collection are made available to
tribes and tribal organizations; advising the OVW director on policies and
implementation of laws concerning violence against Indian women; representing
OVW in the new annual consultations required under Title IX; maintaining a liaison
with federal, state, and tribal judicial branches on violence against Indian women;
supporting enforcement of tribal protection orders and implementation of full faith
and credit educational projects and comity agreements between Indian tribes and
states; and ensuring that tribal justice systems and tribal organizations have adequate
tribal technical assistance for programs relating to violence against Indian women.
The new deputy director is also charged with ensuring that portions of tribal set-
asides in VAWA programs are used (1) to enhance a tribe’s capacity to address the
safety of Indian women and (2) to hold offenders accountable by enhancing the tribal
response to domestic and dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including
through victims’ legal services, Indian-specific offender programs, tribally-based
domestic violence shelters and programs, tribal educational awareness programs,
customary tribal activities that strengthen the tribe’s intolerance of violence against
members, and tribal electronic databases of tribal protection order registries.

CRS-31
Sec. 908. Enhanced Criminal Resources amends the federal criminal code
regarding firearms possession, in 18 U.S.C., Chapter 44, to make a conviction of a
misdemeanor crime of domestic violence under tribal law a reason to prohibit the
sale, transfer, or interstate shipment of firearms or ammunition to the person
convicted, as is already the case for federal and state misdemeanor convictions of
domestic violence crimes.
Title IX also amends Indian law, at 25 U.S.C. 2803(3), relating to the authority
of Secretary of the Interior to charge BIA employees with law enforcement
responsibilities. The act provides that the Secretary may authorize BIA employees
to make an arrest without a warrant for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence
if the offense was committed in Indian country, had as an element the use or
attempted use of physical force or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, and was
committed by a current or former spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim, by a
person who is a parent of the victim’s child, or by a person who is living with or has
lived with the victim as a spouse, parent, or guardian of the victim, and if the BIA
employee reasonably believed that the person to be arrested had committed or was
committing a domestic violence crime.
Sec. 909. Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender adds a new section to
18 U.S.C., Chapter 7, to require that a repeat offender of domestic assault in Indian
country (or in federal territorial or maritime jurisdictions), who has been convicted
on at least two separate prior occasions of domestic violence or related crimes in
federal, state, or Indian tribal court, be fined or imprisoned for not more than five
years, or both. If substantial bodily injury results from the domestic assault, however,
the repeat offender must be imprisoned for not more than 10 years.
Title X — DNA Fingerprinting14 (P.L. 109-162). Title X made several
changes to current law. Among other provisions, the act authorizes federal
authorities to take DNA samples from larger categories of individuals, including
those who are arrested and detained, and include the DNA analysis in the Federal
Bureau of Investigation’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS). The act, however,
requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to expunge from
CODIS the DNA analysis of arrestees for whom the Attorney General receives a
certified copy of a final court order that establishes that the charge has been
dismissed, resulted in an acquittal, or that no charge was filed within the applicable
time period. The act also requires the FBI Director to expunge from CODIS the
DNA analysis of individuals whose convictions have been overturned.
FY2007 Funding for Violence Against Women Programs
VAWA programs are funded through annual appropriations for the Departments
of Justice and HHS. The House Committee on Appropriations reported H.R. 5672,
the Science-State-Justice-Commerce appropriation bill for FY2007, on June 20, 2006
(H.Rept. 109-520). The House passed H.R. 5672 on June 29, 2006. The Senate
14 This section was prepared by Lisa Seghetti, Analyst in Social Legislation, at CRS. For
more information, see CRS Report RL32247, DNA Testing for Law Enforcement:
Legislative Issues for Congress
, by Lisa M. Seghetti.

CRS-32
Committee on Appropriations reported H.R. 5672 for FY2007 on July 13, 2006, but
the bill saw no further action during the 109th Congress. The House Committee on
Appropriations reported H.R. 5647, the Department of Labor-Health and Human
Services-Education appropriations bill, on June 13, 2006 (H.Rept. 109-515). The
Senate Committee on Appropriations reported S. 3708 (S.Rept. 109-287),
Department of Labor-Health and Human Services-Education appropriations bill, on
July 20, 2006. Neither H.R. 5647 nor S. 3708 received floor action during the 109th
Congress. A third continuing resolution was enacted (P.L. 109-383; H.J.Res. 102)
on December 9, 2006, however, which provides funding for VAWA programs
through February 15, 2007, based on FY2006 funding levels. The 110th Congress is
expected to complete the appropriations process for FY2007. President Bush is
expected to release his budget proposals for FY2008 in February.
For FY2007, President Bush requested $543.32 million for violence against
women programs, of which $366.12 million and $177.20 million would have been
for programs administered by DOJ and HHS, respectively. The Administration
requested $172.99 million for STOP grants, of which $2.48 million was for the
National Institute of Justice for research and evaluation of violence against women
and $14.86 million was for transitional housing assistance grants; the President did
not request funding for the Safe Start Program (Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention) which was authorized at $10 million. The President’s
request for HHS-administered programs included $125 million for battered women’s
shelters and $3 million for the domestic violence hotline. For FY2007, VAWA 2005
authorizes total funding of $1 billion for violence against women programs, of which
$675 million is for programs administered by DOJ and $325 million for programs
administered by HHS. (See Table 3.)
VAWA 2000 Historical Funding
Actual appropriations for VAWA programs tended to be less than the amounts
authorized in the bill. VAWA 2000 authorized $3.2 billion for VAWA grant
programs from FY2001-FY2005: $667.5 million for FY2001, $642.3 million for
FY2002, $627.3 million for FY2003 and FY2004, $626.8 million for FY2005. (See
Table 2.) Appropriations for VAWA programs in FY1996-FY2001 are shown in
Table 1.
FY2006. Total FY2006 appropriations for violence against women programs
is $558.07 million, of which $381.57 was for programs administered by DOJ and
$176.50 million was for programs administered by HHS. (Total amounts for
programs administered by both DOJ and HHS reflected the across-the-board
rescission reductions of 1% for FY2006 discretionary appropriations.) For FY2006,
President Bush requested a total of $515 million for VAWA programs, of which
$386 million was for programs administered by DOJ and $129 million for programs
administered by HHS. On November 22, 2005, President Bush signed the
Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations
Act, FY2006 [P.L. 109-108 (H.R. 2862)]. FY2006 funding for STOP grants was
$184.91 million. Transitional housing assistance was funded as a set-aside from
STOP grants as in FY2005; however, the amount of the FY2006 set-aside was $15
million, compared with the FY2005 set-aside of $12.3 million. Some other VAWA
programs also received small increases in funding for FY2006. (See Table 3.)

CRS-33
On December 30, 2005, the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2006 (Labor — HHS-Ed
Act) was enacted [P.L. 109-149 (H.R. 3010)]. The Labor-HHS-Ed Act provided total
FY2006 appropriations of $176.50 million for violence against women programs,
including $124.73 million for the battered women’s shelters program and $2.97
million for the national domestic violence hotline. (See Table 3.)
FY2005. On December 8, 2004, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005
(P.L. 108-447, H.R. 4818) was enacted. The act provided $382.11 million in
FY2005 funding for violence against women programs administered by DOJ. This
amount included $185 million for the STOP grant program, of which $12.3 million
was for transitional housing assistance grants for victims of domestic violence,
stalking, or sexual assault. The act provided $126.65 million for the battered
women’s shelters program and $3.25 million for the national domestic violence
hotline, two programs administered by HHS. Total FY2005 funding for VAWA
programs administered by DOJ and HHS was $561.31 million. The Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2005 mandated a funding reduction of 0.80% for some FY2005
discretionary appropriations, which included VAWA funding. In addition, there was
a 0.54% cut in Commerce-Justice-State discretionary appropriations for FY2005 that
affected funding for VAWA programs administered by DOJ.
For FY2005, President Bush requested a total of $514.11 million for VAWA
programs compared to FY2005 authorization levels of $626.8 million. Of the
requested funding, $385.5 million was for grants administered by the DOJ and
$128.65 million was for programs administered by HHS. These VAWA programs
addressed domestic violence and improved services for victims and their dependents.
The Bush Administration requested $15 million for the transitional housing
assistance programs as a set-aside under the VAWA STOP Formula Grant Program.
FY2004. The Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2004 became law on
January 23, 2004 (P.L. 108-199, H.R. 2673). Congress appropriated total FY2004
funding of $517 million for VAWA programs. This compared to President Bush’s
total request of $512.4 million for VAWA grant programs. For VAWA programs
that were administered by DOJ, Congress provided $387.6 million. For domestic
violence programs that were administered by HHS, the conference agreement
provided $129.4 million, of which $126.4 million were for Grants for Battered
Women’s Shelters and $3 million for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.
(Note: these amounts were subject to a 0.59% across-the-board rescission included
in the act.) Congress also appropriated $15 million for the transitional housing
assistance grants program as a separate line-item.
For FY2004, the House Appropriations Committee (H.R. 2799, H.Rept. 108-
221) recommended $387.63 million for violence against women prevention and
prosecution programs that were administered by DOJ. According to the Committee
report, funding would support efforts of law enforcement officers and prosecutors to
address crimes against women, develop and establish policies that would enhance the
prevention, identification, and response to crimes against women, and would provide
services, such as domestic violence court advocates for victims of crime.

CRS-34
The Senate Appropriations Committee (S. 1585; S.Rept. 108-144) for FY2004
recommended $406 million for Violence Against Women Act programs, of which
$185 million would have been for general formula grants to states. This funding was
to be used to establish effective arrest and prosecution policies to prevent, identify,
and respond to violent crimes against women, to address stalking, and to offer needed
victims services such as specialized domestic violence court advocates who obtain
protection orders. Recommended funding would have supported two programs in
Alaska — $950,000 for a domestic violence protection unit and $500,000 for the
standing together against rape program.
For domestic violence programs that were administered by HHS for FY2004,
both the House (July 10, 2003) and Senate (September 10, 2003) passed H.R. 2660,
the Labor, HHS, and Education Appropriations bill. The Senate, however, after
passing H.R. 2660, amended it on September 11. On October 2, the House disagreed
to the amended bill and requested a conference. Both the House-passed H.R. 2660
and the Senate-passed and amended H.R. 2660 would have provided $3 million for
the national domestic violence hotline and $126.4 million for family violence
prevention and services and battered women’s shelters. This funding would have
assisted states in preventing family violence and would have provided immediate
shelter and related assistance for victims of domestic violence and their dependents
as well as provided for states, public agencies, law enforcement agencies, nonprofit
private organizations, and others seeking technical assistance and training relating
to family violence programs.
For FY2004, President Bush requested a total of $512.40 million for VAWA
programs, with $385.40 million for programs administered by DOJ and $127 million
for programs administered by HHS. The President’s budget for FY2004 requested
funding below levels authorized for these programs. As in FY2003, there was no
funding request for federal victims counselors or the domestic violence task force.
The Administration requested funding for the safe havens for children pilot program,
which was not authorized for FY2004. The FY2004 funding request for VAWA
grants for battered women’s shelters, administered by HHS, was $124.42 million,
which was $2.81 million less than the appropriation for FY2004. Authorized funding
for this program in FY2004 was $175 million.
FY2003. Total FY2003 funds appropriated for VAWA was $519.98 million
— $390.17 million for Department of Justice programs and $129.81 million for
HHS programs. President Bush requested a total of $520 million for VAWA
programs, of which $390 million was for programs administered by DOJ and $127
million was for programs administered by HHS. The Administration did not request
funding for federal victims counselors or the domestic violence task force. The
President requested funding for two programs that were not authorized for FY2003
— safe havens for children pilot program and training programs for medical
personnel who perform sexual assault forensic exams. FY2003 funding request for
VAWA grants for battered women’s shelters, administered by HHS, was $125
million; the same amount appropriated in FY2002. Authorized funding for this
program in FY2003 was $175 million.
FY2002. In FY2002, funding appropriated for VAWA programs totaled
$517.22 million — VAWA programs administered by DOJ received a total of

CRS-35
$390.60 million, while VAWA programs under HHS received $126.62 million.
Within HHS, the President requested funding for programs at FY2001 appropriations
levels, and did not request monies for the transitional housing grant program created
in VAWA 2000. The President also requested $44 million for rape prevention and
education grants; however, these grants were not specified by name in the Labor,
Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act of FY2002. Rather,
the Administration proposed that funding for these grants be included as part of
injury prevention grants. Congress provided $149.8 million for injury prevention
grants.
FY2001. For FY2001, the President requested $481 million and Congress
appropriated $407.1 million for VAWA programs, however, funding for VAWA
programs created in the original act did not truly decrease from FY2000
appropriation levels. Grants to Prevent Sexual Abuse of Runaway and Homeless
Youth were reauthorized in the Missing, Exploited, and Runway Children Protection
Act (P.L. 106-71) and received appropriations of $15 million, prior to the rescission,
for FY2001. In addition, the Center for Disease Control received $176 million for
prevention grants such as rape education and prevention and community domestic
violence programs, but the appropriations bill failed to specify amounts for the
different programs. Assuming FY2001 funding levels for the prevention grants
remained at FY2000 levels, funding for VAWA programs increased by almost $20
million between FY2000 and FY2001.15 (The FY2000 amount enacted for VAWA
programs was $435.75 million, $3 million less than the amount enacted for
FY1999.16) As the following tables show, not all of the programs enacted under
VAWA have been funded continuously; some have received money for a brief period
only, while others have never been funded.
15 The Center for Disease Control reports that these grants received $45 million in FY2001.
16 Consolidated Appropriations Act for FY2000 (P.L. 106-113) signed by President Clinton
on Oct. 29, 1999. (See source note at end of table for complete Congressional Record
citation.)

CRS-36
Table 1. Funds Appropriated for Violence Against Women Grant Programs, FY1996-FY2001
(budget authority in millions of dollars)
Admin.
FY1995
FY1996
FY1997
FY1998
FY1999
FY2000
FY2001
Program
Agency
Enacted
Enacted
Enacted
Enacted
Enacted
Enacted
Enacteda
Law Enforcement and Prosecution Grants (STOP Grants)
OJP
26.00
130.00
145.00
172.00
206.75
206.75
209.72
(Section 40121)
Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies (Section 40231)
OJP
0.00
28.00
33.00
59.00
34.00
34.00
33.93
Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement
OJP
0.00
7.00
8.00
25.00
25.00
25.00
24.95
(Section 40295)
Court Appointed Special Advocates for Victims of Child
OJP
0.00
6.00
6.00
7.00
9.00
10.00
11.48
Abuse (Section 40156a)
Training for Judicial Personnel and Practitioners for Victims
OJP
0.00
0.75
1.00
2.00
2.00
2.00
1.95
of Child Abuse (Section 40156b)
Grants for Televised Testimony by Victims of Child Abuse
OJP
0.00
0.05
0.55
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
(Section 40156c)
National Stalker and Domestic Violence Reduction Grants
OJP
0.00
1.50
1.75
2.75
0.00
0.00
0.00
(Section 40602)
Training Programs for Probation and Parole Officers Who
OJP
0.00
1.00
1.00
2.00
5.00
5.00
5.00
Work With Released Sex Offenders (Section 40152)
National Study on Campus Sexual Assault (Section 40506)
OJP
0.00
0.00
0.20
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
State Databases Studies (Section 40292)
OJP
0.00
0.20
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Federal Victim Counselors (Section 40114)
USA
0.00
0.00
1.00
1.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Subtotal: Department of Justice
26.00
174.50
197.50
270.75
282.75
283.75
288.03
Training Judges/Court Personnel (Section 40421-22)
N/A
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Subtotal: The Judiciary
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Equal Justice for Women in Courts/Training Grants (Section
N/A
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
40411-14)
Subtotal: State Justice Institute
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
National Domestic Violence Hotline (Section 40211)
ACF
1.00
0.00
1.20
1.20
1.20
2.00
2.16

CRS-37
Admin.
FY1995
FY1996
FY1997
FY1998
FY1999
FY2000
FY2001
Program
Agency
Enacted
Enacted
Enacted
Enacted
Enacted
Enacted
Enacteda
Grants to Reduce Sexual Abuse of Runaway, Homeless, and
ACF
0.00
5.56
8.00
15.00
15.00
15.00
15.00b
Street Youth (Section 40155)
Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters (Section 40241)
ACF
0.00
15.00
10.80
76.80
88.80
101.50
116.92
Transitional Housing for Victims of Domestic Violence
(Section 1203 of VAWA)c
ACF






0.00
National Number and Cost of Injuries Study (Section 40293)
CDC
0.00
0.10
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Rape Prevention and Education Grants (Section 40151)
CDC
0.00
28.54
35.00
45.00
45.00
45.00
d
Community Programs on Domestic Violence (Section
CDC
1.00
3.00
6.00
6.00
6.00
6.00
d
40261)
Subtotal: Department of Health and Human Services
1.00
52.20
61.00
144.00
156.00
169.50
119.08
Grand total
$27.00
$227.10
$258.50
$420.75
$438.75
$453.25
$407.11
Sources: For FY1995-FY2000 funding information, see Budget of the United States Government: Appendix for indicated years under named agencies. FY2001: Commerce, Justice
State Appropriations (P.L. 106-553) signed into law on Dec. 21, 2000. FY2001: Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations (P.L. 106-554) signed into law
on Dec. 21, 2000.
Abbreviations to table.
In DOJ: USA (United States Attorneys), OJP (Office of Justice Programs)
In HHS: ACF (Administration for Children and Families), CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
a. The FY2001 Consolidated Appropriations Act ( P.L. 106-554) contained a provision mandating a 0.22% government-wide rescission of discretionary budget authority for FY2001
for all government agencies (except for certain defense activities). The amounts appropriated for FY2001 in the table include the rescission.
b. These grants were reauthorized through FY2003 by the Missing, Exploited, and Runway Children Protection Act (P.L. 106-71; S. 249/Hatch), which was signed into law on Oct.
12, 1999. Thus, these monies are not included in the total of VAWA funds for FY2001.
c. For this program, VAWA 2000 authorized $25 million for FY2001 only.
d. These grants were not specified by name in the appropriations bill. In H.R. 4577, however, the CDC was allocated $175.97 million for injury prevention grants which would include
these programs. The House Appropriations Committee report mentioned that $45 million should be appropriated for rape prevention grants, however, this language was not
included in the bill.

CRS-38
Table 2. Funding Authorized in the Violence Against Women Act 2000 (P.L. 106-386)
($ in millions)
Admin.
Program
Agency
FY2001
FY2002
FY2003
FY2004
FY2005
Law Enforcement and Prosecution (STOP) Grants (Section 1102-1103)
OJP
185.00
185.00
185.00
185.00
185.00
Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies (Section 1104)
OJP
65.00
65.00
65.00
65.00
65.00
Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement (Section 1105)
OJP
40.00
40.00
40.00
40.00
40.00
Court Appointed Special Advocates for Victims of Child Abuse (Section 1302)
OJP
12.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
12.00
Training for Judicial Personnel and Practitioners for Victims of Child Abuse (Section 1302)
OJP
2.30
2.30
2.30
2.30
2.30
Grants for Televised Testimony by Victims of Child Abuse (Section 1302)
OJP
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
National Stalker and Domestic Violence Reduction Grants (Section 1106)
OJP
3.00
3.00
3.00
3.00
3.00
Training Programs for Law Enforcement Officers on Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation (Section
OJP 5.00
5.00
5.00
5.00
5.00
1209)
Civil and Legal Assistance for Victims of Violence (Section 1201)
OJP
40.00
40.00
40.00
40.00
40.00
Safe Havens for Children Pilot Program (Section 1301)
OJP
15.00
15.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Grants to Decrease Violence Against Women with Disabilities (Section 1402)
OJP
7.50
7.50
7.50
7.50
7.50
Training Programs for Medical Personnel who Perform Sexual Assault Forensic Exams (Section 1405)
OJP
.20
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
Domestic Violence Task Force (Section 1407)
OJP
.50
.50
.50
.50
0.00
Federal Victim Counselors (Section 1205)
USA
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
1.00
Transitional Housing for Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assaulta
OVW
30.00
30.00
Subtotal: Department of Justice
377.50
377.30
362.30
392.30
391.80
Training Judges/Court Personnel (Section 1406(b))
N/A
.50
.50
.50
.50
.50
Subtotal: The Judiciary
.50
.50
.50
.50
.50
Equal Justice for Women in Courts/Training Grants (Section 1406(a))
N/A
1.50
1.50
1.50
1.50
1.50
Subtotal: State Justice Institute
1.50
1.50
1.50
1.50
1.50

CRS-39
Admin.
Program
Agency
FY2001
FY2002
FY2003
FY2004
FY2005
National Domestic Violence Hotline (Section 1204)b
ACF
2.00
2.00
2.00
3.50
3.50
Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters (Section 1202)c
ACF
175.00
175.00
175.00
175.00
175.00
Transitional Housing for Victims of Domestic Violence (Section 1203)d
ACF
25.00
0.00
25.00
25.00
25.00
Rape Prevention and Education Grants (Section 1402)
CDC
80.00
80.00
80.00
80.00
80.00
Community Programs on Domestic Violence (Section 1403)
CDC
6.00
6.00
6.00
6.00
6.00
Subtotal: Department of Health and Human Services
288.00
288.00
288.00
289.50
289.50
Grand total
$667.50
$642.30
$652.30
$683.80e
$683.30e
Source: Violence Against Women Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-386) as signed by the President on Oct. 28, 2000.
Note: Section numbers refer to P.L. 106-386.
List of Abbreviations
Within DOJ: USA: United States Attorneys; OJP: Office of Justice Programs; OVW: Office on Violence Against Women
Within HHS: ACF: Administration for Children and Families; CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
a. The Prosecutorial Remedies and Other Tools to End the Exploitation of Children Today Act of 2003 (the PROTECT ACT (P.L. 108-21)) authorized to be appropriated $30 million
each FY2004 through FY2008 for the transitional housing assistance program under DOJ.
b. Under provisions of The Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-36) the National Domestic Violence Hotline was reauthorized at $3.5 million for each FY2004
through FY2008.
c. Under provisions of the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003, the Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters program was reauthorized at $175 million for each FY2004
through FY2008.
d. The Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 amended provisions of the Family Prevention and Services Act by authorizing $25 million each FY2003 through FY2008
for this program.
e. Total funding includes the following programs administered by HHS that were reauthorized under the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 — $3.5 million for the
National Domestic Violence Hotline and $25 million for the transitional housing assistance program. In addition, total funding includes $30 million that the PROTECT ACT
authorized for the transitional housing assistance program under DOJ.

CRS-40
Table 3. Funding for Violence Against Women Programs, FY2005-FY2007
($ in millions)
FY2005
FY2006
Authoriz.
FY2007
Program and Administrative Agency
Enacteda
Enacted b
FY2007
Request
Department of Justice
STOP Grants Improvements (Section 101) (42 U.S.C. 3793(a)(18) (OVW)
$184.59
$184.91
$225.00c
$172.99
Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies (Section 102) (42 U.S.C. 3793(a)(19) (OVW)
62.64
62.27
75.00
55.15
Legal Assistance for Victims Improvements (Section 103) (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-6) (OVW)
39.21
38.72
65.00
45.77
Court Training and Improvements to Respond to Victims of Violence (Sec. 105) (42 U.S.C. 14043)


5.00
.00
Privacy Protections for Victims of Domestic, Dating and Sexual Violence, and Stalking (Sec. 107) (42 U.S.C. 14043b)


5.00
.00
Sex Offender Management (Sec. 108) (42 U.S.C. 13941)
4.36
4.90
5.00
5.00
National Stalker and Domestic Violence Reduction Grants (Sec. 109) (42 U.S.C. 14032)
2.91
2.92
3.00
.00
Federal Victims Assistants (Sec. 110) 119 Stat. 2984 (USA)
.00
.00
1.00
.00
Grants for Law Enforcement Training (Sec. 111) 42 (U.S.C. 14044f)


10.00
.00
Court Appointed Special Advocates for Victims of Child Abuse (Sec.112) (42 U.S.C. 13011)
11.74
11.75
12.00
11.85
Grants for Outreach to Underserved Populations (Sec. 120) (42 U.S.C.14045) (OVW)


2.00
.00
Sexual Assault Services Program (Sec. 202) (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-9)


50.00
.00
Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement (Sec. 203) (42 U.S.C. 13971) (OVW)
39.16
38.67
55.00
38.80
Grants to Decrease Violence Against Women with Disabilities (Sec. 204) (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-7)
7.15
7.06
10.00
7.11
Training and Services to End Violence Against and Abuse of Women Later in Life (Sec. 205) (42 U.S.C. 14041a)
4.54
4.48
10.00
4.46
(OVW)
Services to Advocate For and Respond to Youth Victims of Violence (Sec. 303) (42 U.S.C. 14043c)


15.00
.00
Access to Justice for Youth (Sec. 303) (42 U.S.C. 14043c-1) (OVW)


5.00
.00
Combating Domestic, Dating and Sexual Violence and Stalking in Middle and High Schools (STEP) (Sec. 303) (42


5.00
.00
U.S.C. 14043c-3) (OVW)
Grants to Combat Violent Crimes on Campus (Sec. 304) (42 U.S.C. 14045b) (OVW)
9.05
8.94
12.00
8.97
Safe Havens for Children Pilot Program (Sec. 306) (42 U.S.C. 10420)
13.89
13.72
20.00
13.76
Grants to Assist Children and Youth Exposed to Violence (Sec. 401) (42 U.S.C. 14043d-2) (OVW)


20.00
.00

CRS-41
FY2005
FY2006
Authoriz.
FY2007
Program and Administrative Agency
Enacteda
Enacted b
FY2007
Request
Development of Curricula and Pilot Programs for Home Visitation Projects (Sec. 401) (42 U.S.C. 14043d-3) (OVW)


7.00
.00
Engaging Men and Youth in Preventing Domestic, Dating and Sexual Violence and Stalking (Sec. 401) (42 U.S.C.


10.00
.00
14043d-4) (OVW)
Public Awareness Campaign (Sec. 403) (42 U.S.C. 14045c) (OVW)


d
.00
Transitional Housing Assistance Grants for Child Victims of Domestic Violence, Stalking, or Sexual Assault (Sec. 602)
(12.33)
(15.00)
40.00
(14.86)
(42 U.S.C. 13975) (OVW)
Grants for National Resource Center on Workplace Responses to Assist Victims of Domestic and Sexual Violence (Sec.


1.00
.00
701) (42 U.S.C. 14043f) (OVW)
Analysis and Research on Violence Against Indian Women Baseline Study (Sec. 904) (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-10 note) (NIJ)

1.00
.00
Tracking of Violence Against Indian Women (Sec. 905) (28 U.S.C. 534)


1.00
.00
Training for Judicial Personnel and Practitioners for Victims of Child Abuse (42 U.S.C. 13024) (OJP)
1.90
2.26
.00
2.26
Grants for Televised Testimony by Victims of Child Abuse (42 U.S.C. 3793(a)
.97
.97
e
.00
Subtotal: Department of Justice
$382.11
$381.57
$670.00
$366.12
Department of Health and Human Services
Training and Collaboration on Intersection of Domestic Violence and Child Maltreatment (Sec. 303) (42 U.S.C. 14043c-


5.00
.00
2) (FYSB)
National Domestic Violence Hotline (Sec. 411)f (ACF)
3.25
2.97
3.50g
3.00
Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters (Sec. 406)f (ACF)
126.65
124.73
175.00h
125.00
Transitional Housing for Victims of Domestic Violence (Sec. 414)e (ACF)
.00
.00
30.00i
.00
Rape Prevention and Education Grants (Sec. 302) (CDC)
44.00
43.60j
80.00
44.00k
Community Initiative Programs on Domestic Violence (Sec. 413)e (CDC)
5.30
5.20j
6.00l
5.20k
Prevention of Violence Study (Sec. 402) (42 U.S.C. 280b-4)(CDC)


2.00
.00
Training and Education of Health Professionals on Domestic and Sexual Violence (Sec. 503) (42 U.S.C. 294h) (HRSA)


3.00
.00
Grants to Foster Public Health Responses to Domestic, Dating, Sexual Violence and Stalking (Sec. 504) (42 U.S.C.


5.00
.00
280g-4) (CDC)
Research on Effective Interventions in the Healthcare Setting (Sec. 505) (42 U.S.C. 13973) (CDC)


5.00
.00
Collaborative Grants to Increase the Long-Term Stability of Victims (Sec. 601 )(42 U.S.C. 14043e-3) (ACF)


10.00
.00
Grants to Combat Violence Against Women in Public and Assisted Housing (Sec. 601) (42 U.S.C. 14043e-4) (OVW)


10.00
.00

CRS-42
FY2005
FY2006
Authoriz.
FY2007
Program and Administrative Agency
Enacteda
Enacted b
FY2007
Request
Native Americans Injury Study (Sec. 904) (IHS)


.50
.00
Subtotal: Department of Health and Human Services
$179.20
$176.50
$335.00
$177.20
Grand total
$561.31
$558.07b
$1,005.00m
$543.32
Sources: Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 as enacted January 5, 2006 (P.L. 109-162); Violence Against Women Act of 2005 as signed
by the President on Oct. 28, 2000 (P.L. 106-386). The Science, State, Justice, Commerce, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, FY2006 was enacted November 22, 2005 (P.L.
109-108). The Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations, FY2006 was enacted December 30, 2005 (P.L. 109-149).
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005, was enacted December 8, 2004 (P.L. 108-447). The Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003 was enacted June 25, 2003 (P.L.
108-36). For FY2006 budget request, see Budget of the United States Government: Appendix under named agencies.
Note: Section numbers refer to P.L. 109-162 unless otherwise indicated. Totals may not add due to rounding.
Abbreviations to table
In DOJ: USA: United States Attorneys; OJP: Office of Justice Programs; OVW: Office on Violence Against Women; USA: United States Attorneys; NIJ: National Institute of Justice
In HHS: ACF: Administration for Children and Families; CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; FYSB: Family and Youth Services Bureau; HRSA: Health, Resources
and Services Administration; IHS: Indian Health Service
STEP: Supporting Teens Through Education and Protection Act
a. These funding amounts reflect the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005-mandated funding reduction of 0.80% for some FY2005 discretionary appropriations, which included
VAWA funding. In addition, there was also a 0.54% cut in the Departments of State, Justice, and Commerce discretionary appropriations for FY2005 that affected funding
for VAWA programs administered by DOJ.
b. These funding amounts reflect the across-the-board rescission reductions of 1% for FY2006 discretionary appropriations in Commerce-Justice-State and Labor-HHS-Ed discretionary
appropriations for FY2006.
c. STOP grants amount includes authorized funding of $10 million for the National Institute of Justice for research and evaluation of violence against women and $40 million for
transitional housing assistance.
d. VAWA 2000 authorized “such sums as may be necessary” for the Public Awareness Campaign.
e. VAWA 2005 did not reauthorize this program.
f. The section number is from the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act (P.L. 108-36).
g. Under provisions of the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act (P.L. 108-36) the National Domestic Violence Hotline was reauthorized at $3.5 million for each of FY2004 through
FY2008.
h. Under provisions of the Keeping Children and Families Safe Act of 2003, the Grants for Battered Women’s Shelters program was reauthorized at $175 million for each of FY2004
through FY2008.

CRS-43
i. The PROTECT ACT (P.L. 108-21) amended provisions of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act by increasing the authorized funding for the transitional housing
assistance program administered by HHS. For the program, the act authorized funding of $30 million for each of FY2004 through FY2008. No appropriation has been made
or requested under this authority.
j. Grants for rape prevention and education and community programs on domestic violence have not been given a separate line number in either the House or Senate Appropriations
proposals for FY2006, however, the CDC provided these funding amounts.
k. These funding request amounts were provided by the CDC.
l. The CDC provided this funding request amount.
m. This total of authorized funding also includes $30 million that was authorized by the PROTECT ACT (P.L. 108-21).