Signed by President Barack Obama II

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that reauthorizes the "Violence Against Women Act" for fiscal years 2014 through 2018.

Highlights:

• Prohibits all programs funded by the Violence Against Women Act from excluding from participation, denying the benefits of, or discriminating against individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability (Sec. 3).

• Defines “gender identity” as real or perceived gender-related characteristic (Sec. 3).

• Exempts sex-specific programs from the requirement prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes tribal governments to exercise special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction over any individual that commits domestic violence, dating violence, or violates a protection order against an Indian, the spouse or intimate partner of an Indian, an individual living in the Indian country, or an individual employed by the Indian tribe, whereas existing law does not authorize tribal governments to have jurisdiction over non-Indian individuals (Sec. 904).

• Expands the definition of “domestic violence” to include crimes of violence against a current or former intimate partner (Sec. 3).

• Appropriates $5 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to be used for the development of tribal criminal justice systems including, but not limited to, the following (Sec. 904):
• Prosecution;
• Trial and appellate courts;
• Probation systems;
• Detention and correctional facilities; and
• Criminal codes and rules of criminal and appellate procedures.

• Expands the definition of “stalking” to include the intent to intimidate an individual by using interactive computer services or electronic communication services (Sec. 107).

• Expands the list of nonimmigrant victims eligible for U nonimmigrant visas to include victims of stalking (Sec. 801).

• Expands the list of non-citizens eligible to obtain a hardship waiver to include non-citizens who are married to a United States citizen or permanent resident and who were battered or subjected to “extreme” cruelty by their spouse (Sec. 806).

• Appropriates $222 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to be used for certain programs that combat violence against women including, but not limited to, the following programs (Sec. 101):
• Programs that provide services for male and female victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking whose ability to access traditional services is affected by their sexual orientation or gender identity;
• Programs that develop state, local, or tribal policies for responding to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking;
• Programs that develop policies and training for law enforcement and prosecutors to investigate and prosecute sexual assault cases and provide treatment to victims of sexual assault;
• Programs that address sexual assault against men, women, and youth in correctional and detention settings;
• Programs that identify backlogs of sexual assault evidence and develop protocols for responding to backlogs; and
• Educational programs that are intended to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

• Appropriates $73 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 for the development of certain programs that encourage arrest policies and enforcement of protection orders including, but not limited to, the following programs (Sec. 102):
• Programs that educate judicial employees and federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local judges, courts, and court-based and court-related personnel about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking;
• Programs that develop policies for law enforcement, prosecutors, and judicial employees that are intended to help them recognize, investigate, and prosecute instances of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking against immigrant victims;
• Programs that develop state, local, and tribal policies for responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and
• Programs that provide human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, counseling, and prophylaxis for sexual assault victims.

• Appropriates $57 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to develop programs that provide legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (Sec. 103).

• Appropriates $40 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to develop programs that provide sexual assault services (Sec. 201).

• Appropriates $50 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child abuse enforcement assistance programs (Sec. 202).

• Defines “rural” as a state that has a population density of 57 individuals per square mile and whose largest county has less than 250,000 individuals, whereas existing law defines rural as a state that has a population density of 52 individuals per square mile and whose largest county has less than 150,000 individuals (Sec. 3).

• Appropriates $9 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 for training and services to end violence against women with disabilities (Sec. 203).

• Appropriates $9 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 for training and services to end abuse of individuals who are 50 years of age or older (Sec. 204).

• Appropriates $50 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 for rape prevention and education programs for young victims of violence, and requires the funds to be appropriated as follows (Sec. 301):
• Appropriates a minimum of $150,000 each fiscal year to each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico;
• Appropriates a minimum of $35,000 each fiscal year to each United States territory; and
• Appropriates any remaining funds to each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in proportion to their populations.

• Requires at least 75 percent of the funds provided for the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to be used for certain purposes including, but not limited to, the following purposes (Sec. 1004):
• To carry out DNA analyses of samples from crimes scenes including samples from rape kits, samples from other sexual assault evidence, and samples taken in cases without an identified suspect; and
• To increase the capacity of laboratories owned by the state or by units of local government to carry out DNA analyses.

• Appropriates $15 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to develop victim-centered services that focus on youth and children who are victims of, or are exposed to, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and requires at least 10 percent of these funds to be appropriated to Indian tribes (Sec. 302).

• Appropriates $4 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to provide housing for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (Sec. 603).

• Prohibits an applicant for or tenant of housing assisted under certain housing programs from being denied admission to, denied assistance under, terminated from participation in, or evicted from the housing on the basis that the applicant or tenant has been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking (Sec. 601).

• Appropriates $22 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to amend the civil and criminal justice systems' response to families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or allegations of child sexual abuse (Sec. 104).

• Appropriates $12 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to be used by institutions of higher education to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campuses (Sec. 303).

• Appropriates $8 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2017 to be used to develop and expand certain assistance programs for sex trafficking victims including, but not limited to, the following programs (Sec. 1241):
• Programs that provide residential care, clothing, and daily necessities for minor victims;
• Programs that provide 24-hour emergency social services for minor victims;
• Programs that provide case management and legal services for minor victims; and
• Programs that provide mental health counseling for minor victims.

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that reauthorizes the "Violence Against Women Act" for fiscal years 2014 through 2018.

Highlights:

• Prohibits all programs funded by the Violence Against Women Act from excluding from participation, denying the benefits of, or discriminating against individuals on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability (Sec. 3).

• Defines “gender identity” as real or perceived gender-related characteristic (Sec. 3).

• Exempts sex-specific programs from the requirement prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sex (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes tribal governments to exercise special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction over any individual that commits domestic violence, dating violence, or violates a protection order against an Indian, the spouse or intimate partner of an Indian, an individual living in the Indian country, or an individual employed by the Indian tribe, whereas existing law does not authorize tribal governments to have jurisdiction over non-Indian individuals (Sec. 904).

• Expands the definition of “domestic violence” to include crimes of violence against a current or former intimate partner (Sec. 3).

• Appropriates $5 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to be used for the development of tribal criminal justice systems including, but not limited to, the following (Sec. 904):
• Prosecution;
• Trial and appellate courts;
• Probation systems;
• Detention and correctional facilities; and
• Criminal codes and rules of criminal and appellate procedures.

• Expands the definition of “stalking” to include the intent to intimidate an individual by using interactive computer services or electronic communication services (Sec. 107).

• Expands the list of nonimmigrant victims eligible for U nonimmigrant visas to include victims of stalking (Sec. 801).

• Expands the list of non-citizens eligible to obtain a hardship waiver to include non-citizens who are married to a United States citizen or permanent resident and who were battered or subjected to “extreme” cruelty by their spouse (Sec. 806).

• Appropriates $222 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to be used for certain programs that combat violence against women including, but not limited to, the following programs (Sec. 101):
• Programs that provide services for male and female victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking whose ability to access traditional services is affected by their sexual orientation or gender identity;
• Programs that develop state, local, or tribal policies for responding to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking;
• Programs that develop policies and training for law enforcement and prosecutors to investigate and prosecute sexual assault cases and provide treatment to victims of sexual assault;
• Programs that address sexual assault against men, women, and youth in correctional and detention settings;
• Programs that identify backlogs of sexual assault evidence and develop protocols for responding to backlogs; and
• Educational programs that are intended to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

• Appropriates $73 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 for the development of certain programs that encourage arrest policies and enforcement of protection orders including, but not limited to, the following programs (Sec. 102):
• Programs that educate judicial employees and federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local judges, courts, and court-based and court-related personnel about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking;
• Programs that develop policies for law enforcement, prosecutors, and judicial employees that are intended to help them recognize, investigate, and prosecute instances of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking against immigrant victims;
• Programs that develop state, local, and tribal policies for responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and
• Programs that provide human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, counseling, and prophylaxis for sexual assault victims.

• Appropriates $57 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to develop programs that provide legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (Sec. 103).

• Appropriates $40 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to develop programs that provide sexual assault services (Sec. 201).

• Appropriates $50 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child abuse enforcement assistance programs (Sec. 202).

• Defines “rural” as a state that has a population density of 57 individuals per square mile and whose largest county has less than 250,000 individuals, whereas existing law defines rural as a state that has a population density of 52 individuals per square mile and whose largest county has less than 150,000 individuals (Sec. 3).

• Appropriates $9 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 for training and services to end violence against women with disabilities (Sec. 203).

• Appropriates $9 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 for training and services to end abuse of individuals who are 50 years of age or older (Sec. 204).

• Appropriates $50 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 for rape prevention and education programs for young victims of violence, and requires the funds to be appropriated as follows (Sec. 301):
• Appropriates a minimum of $150,000 each fiscal year to each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico;
• Appropriates a minimum of $35,000 each fiscal year to each United States territory; and
• Appropriates any remaining funds to each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in proportion to their populations.

• Requires at least 75 percent of the funds provided for the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to be used for certain purposes including, but not limited to, the following purposes (Sec. 1004):
• To carry out DNA analyses of samples from crimes scenes including samples from rape kits, samples from other sexual assault evidence, and samples taken in cases without an identified suspect; and
• To increase the capacity of laboratories owned by the state or by units of local government to carry out DNA analyses.

• Appropriates $15 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to develop victim-centered services that focus on youth and children who are victims of, or are exposed to, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and requires at least 10 percent of these funds to be appropriated to Indian tribes (Sec. 302).

• Appropriates $4 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to provide housing for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (Sec. 603).

• Prohibits an applicant for or tenant of housing assisted under certain housing programs from being denied admission to, denied assistance under, terminated from participation in, or evicted from the housing on the basis that the applicant or tenant has been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking (Sec. 601).

• Appropriates $22 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to amend the civil and criminal justice systems' response to families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or allegations of child sexual abuse (Sec. 104).

• Appropriates $12 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2018 to be used by institutions of higher education to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking on campuses (Sec. 303).

• Appropriates $8 million for each fiscal year 2014 through 2017 to be used to develop and expand certain assistance programs for sex trafficking victims including, but not limited to, the following programs (Sec. 1241):
• Programs that provide residential care, clothing, and daily necessities for minor victims;
• Programs that provide 24-hour emergency social services for minor victims;
• Programs that provide case management and legal services for minor victims; and
• Programs that provide mental health counseling for minor victims.

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text