BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SJR 2|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SJR 2
Author: Jackson (D), et al.
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
SUBJECT : Violence Against Women Act
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution calls on the United States Congress
to pass the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013
(VAWRA), Senate Bill No. 47, authored by Senator Leahy, and
ensure the sustainability of vital programs designed to keep
women and families safe from violence and abuse.
ANALYSIS : 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. VAWA is responsive, streamlined, and
constitutionally and fiscally sound, while providing strong
accountability measures and appropriate federal government
oversight.
2. VAWA represents the voices of women and their families, and
the voices of victims, survivors, and advocates.
3. VAWA was first enacted in 1994, and has been the centerpiece
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of the federal government's efforts to stamp out domestic and
sexual violence. Critical programs authorized under VAWA
include support for victim services, transitional housing,
and legal assistance.
4. Domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and
stalking, once considered private matters to be dealt with
behind closed doors, have been brought out of the darkness.
5. VAWA has been successful because it has had consistently
strong, bipartisan support for nearly two decades.
6. The VAWRA will provide a five-year reauthorization for VAWA
programs, and reduce authorized funding levels by more than
$135 million, or 17%, from the law's 2005 authorization.
7. While annual rates of domestic violence have dropped more
than 50%, domestic violence remains a serious issue. Every
day in the U.S., three women are killed by abusive husbands
and partners. In California in 2010, there were 166,361
domestic violence calls, including more than 65,000 that
involved a weapon.
8. The VAWRA includes several updates and improvements to the
law, including the following:
A. An emphasis on the need to effectively respond to
sexual assault crime by adding new purpose areas and a 20%
set-aside in the STOP (Services, Training, Officers, and
Prosecutors) Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program
and 25% set-aside in the Grants to Encourage Arrest
Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders Program.
B. Improvements in tools to prevent domestic violence
homicides by training law enforcement, victim service
providers, and court personnel to identify and manage
high-risk offenders and connecting high-risk victims to
crisis intervention services.
C. Improvements in responses to the high rate of violence
against women in tribal communities by strengthening
concurrent tribal criminal jurisdiction over perpetrators
who assault Indian spouses and dating partners in Indian
countries.
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D. Increased protections for vulnerable immigrant victims
of domestic and sexual violence, ensuring protection for
the children of victims and strengthening protections for
women brought into the country by marriage brokers.
E. Measures to strengthen housing protections for victims
by applying existing housing protections to nine
additional federal housing programs.
F. Measures to promote accountability to ensure that
federal funds are used for their intended purposes.
G. Consolidation of programs and reductions in
authorization levels to address fiscal concerns, and
renewed focus on programs that have been most successful.
9. There is a need to maintain services for victims and families
at the local, state, and federal levels. Reauthorization
will allow existing programs to continue uninterrupted, and
will provide for the development of new initiatives to
address key areas of concern. These initiatives include the
following:
A. Addressing the high rates of domestic violence, dating
violence, and sexual assault among women 16 to 24 years of
age, inclusive, by combating tolerant youth attitudes
toward violence.
B. Improving the response to sexual assault with best
practices, training, and communication tools for law
enforcement, as well as health care and legal
professionals.
C. Preventing domestic violence homicides through enhanced
training for law enforcement, advocates, and others who
interact with those at risk. A growing number of experts
agree that these homicides are predictable, and therefore
preventable, if we know the warning signs.
D. Expanding the definition of "underserved" to encourage
development of services for people who have had trouble
getting help in the past.
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This resolution calls on the U.S. Congress to pass the VAWRA,
Senate Bill No. 47, authored by Senator Leahy, and ensure the
sustainability of vital programs designed to keep women and
families safe from violence and abuse.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
JG:k 2/6/13 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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