BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                  AJR 8
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   February 7, 2013

                             ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON RULES
                                Nancy Skinner, Chair
            AJR 8 (John A. Pérez/Lowenthal) - As Introduced:  January 31,  
                                        2013
           
          SUBJECT  :   Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act.

           SUMMARY  :   Urges the President to sign and Congress to pass the  
          Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act and ensure the  
          sustainability of vital programs designed to keep women and  
          families safe from violence and abuse.  Specifically,  this  
          resolution  makes the following legislative findings:

          1)The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was developed with the  
            input of advocates from around the country and from all walks  
            of life, and addresses the real and most important needs of  
            victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence,  
            and stalking.

          2)VAWA was first enacted in 1994, and has been the centerpiece  
            of the federal government's efforts to stamp out domestic and  
            sexual violence by creating critical programs authorized under  
            VAWA including support for victim services, transitional  
            housing, and legal assistance.

          3)VAWA has been successful because it has had consistently  
            strong, bipartisan support for nearly two decades.

          4)There is a need to maintain services for victims and families  
            at the local, state, and federal levels and the VAWA  
            reauthorization would allow existing programs to continue  
            uninterrupted, and would provide for the development of new  
            initiatives to address key area of concerns such as addressing  
            the high rate of domestic violence, dating violence, and  
            sexual assault among women 16-24 years of age; improving the  
            response to sexual assaults and preventing domestic violence  
            homicides by giving law enforcement the proper communications  
            tools.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   Unknown.

           COMMENTS  :   VAWA was enacted in Congress in 1994 and reenacted  
          in 2000 and 2005.  VAWA was the first comprehensive legislative  








                                                                  AJR 8
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          package that focused on violence against women and their  
          children.  VAWA created new legal tools and grant programs  
          addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and  
          related issues.  

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           
          None on file.

           Opposition 
           
          None on file.
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Nicole Willis / RLS. / (916) 319-2800