|
Just hours before adjourning in 2005
Congress reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA),
which supports efforts to combat domestic violence, sexual
assault and dating violence across the country. President Bush
signed VAWA into law on January 5. This is the second
reauthorization since VAWA was originally enacted in 1994.
The legislation authorizes $3.9 billion over the next five
years. In addition to funding existing programs, VAWA also
creates new programs, policies and protections for victims in
response to requests from the field.
While VAWA has always funded domestic violence programs and
shelters, the 2005 reauthorization for the first time extends to
agencies, which provide direct services to victims of sexual
assault, up to $250 million over five years. $45 to $55 million
(depending on appropriation levels) is earmarked to address
sexual assault in rural communities.
Other highlights include:
-
An increase in
funding for the STOP grant program from $185 million/year to
$225 million/year.
-
A new condition
that prohibits recipients of STOP grants from asking or
requiring victims of sexual offenses to submit to a polygraph
exam as a condition of proceeding with an investigation (see
promising practices article, below);
-
A new grant
program to train school personnel to recognize signs of violence
in schools and establish policies for intervention ($25 million
over five years).
-
New protections
for domestic violence victims threatened with eviction from
public housing or with losing housing subsidies as a result of
the criminal acts of their abusers.
-
Expansion of the
federal stalking law to cover surveillance of victims by
technology (this is in response to reports from the field that
stalkers were using newly available GPS devices to track their
victims).
-
Creates three new
grant programs aimed at strengthening the healthcare system’s
response to violence against women ($65 million over 5 years);
-
Withholds some
federal funding from states that do not have laws allowing
victims of rape and sexual assault to learn the HIV status of
their attacker within 48 hours of an indictment.
-
VAWA 2005 will
clarify that in order for state and tribal governments to use
STOP grant funds to pay for forensic medical exams for sexual
assault victims, victims shall not be required to seek
reimbursement from their insurance company. It also ensures that
the victim must not be required to participate in the criminal
justice system or cooperate with law enforcement in order to be
provided with a forensic medical exam or reimbursement for such
exam.
Susan Howley of
the National Center for Victims of Crime is clearly pleased with
funding levels, but she cautions that at this point the amounts
are only authorized, not appropriated. It’s important for
advocates and others in the field to stay tuned to developments
and be prepared to act quickly to urge Congress to appropriate
these funds.
Source:
H.R. 3402.ENR (Enrolled as
Agreed to or passed by both House and Senate). |
|
