No official summary available for this bill.
[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 10099 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 10099
To establish a National Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan to
expand, intensify and coordinate domestic violence prevention programs
in the United States of America, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 1, 2024
Ms. Wexton (for herself and Mr. Joyce of Ohio) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Education and the
Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a National Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan to
expand, intensify and coordinate domestic violence prevention programs
in the United States of America, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``National Domestic Violence
Prevention Action Plan''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds as follows:
(1) Domestic violence is a serious public health problem
and more than 12 million individuals experience domestic
violence in the United States each year.
(2) According to the National Intimate Partner and Sexual
Violence Survey, in the United States more than 2 in 5 women
and nearly 1 in 4 men will experience contact sexual violence,
physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner and
experience an intimate partner violence related impact in their
lifetime, and approximately 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men
experience severe physical violence by an intimate partner in
their lifetime.
(3) More than half of female homicides were connected to
intimate partner violence and in a domestic violence situation
the presence of a gun increases the risk of homicide by 500
percent.
(4) While Domestic violence can affect anyone, research
indicates that communities of color, individuals with
disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other marginalized
communities can be disproportionately impacted.
(5) Domestic violence leads to the loss of nearly 8 million
days of work each year and costs the United States $3.6
trillion.
(6) The United Nations has urged countries to adopt
national action plans to combat gender-based violence and
violence against women, including domestic violence, and
approximately 50 countries, including Canada, the United
Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Spain, and Ireland, have adopted
such plans.
(7) The United States does not have a national plan of
action on domestic violence or gender-based violence, making it
a global outlier.
(8) While the Violence Against Women Act and Family
Violence Prevention and Services Act are the United States
landmark pieces of domestic violence legislation and has many
of the hallmarks of a national action plan on domestic violence
prevention, the United States does not have a whole-of-
government, goal-oriented, community-informed, forward looking
national plan of action for domestic violence prevention.
(9) The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) created the
Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) in 1995 to administer
financial and technical assistance to communities across the
United States that are working to develop and maintain
programs, policies, and practices devoted to ending domestic
violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
(10) None of the programs administered by the Office on
Violence Against Women (OVW) focus solely on prevention of
domestic violence.
(11) The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act
authorizes three major activities: domestic violence prevention
activities through a program known as Domestic Violence
Prevention Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances
(DELTA), the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and domestic
violence shelters, victims' services, and program support.
(12) Since 1996, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention has awarded Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement
and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA) funding to State
Domestic Violence Coalitions (SDVCs) to coordinate specific
prevention activities. However, only ten states currently
benefit from this funding.
(13) According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, DELTA focuses on implementing three strategies--
engage influential adults and peers, create protective
environments, and strengthen economic supports for families--
with the goal of addressing and decreasing community and
societal level risk, identifying factors in communities that
may lead to intimate partner violence, and increasing
protective factors that prevent it.
(14) In 1993, the National Resource Center on Domestic
Violence was established through the Department of Health and
Human Services funding to (1) support community awareness and
educational efforts of domestic violence programs through the
Domestic Violence Awareness Project (DVAP), (2) promote and
support the leadership of women of color at the local, state,
and national levels through the Women of Color Network, (3)
promote holistic programming and policy response through
Building Comprehensive Solutions to Domestic Violence, and
connect individuals to research on emerging issues related to
domestic violence, sexual violence, public policy, and primary
prevention through VAWnet.
(15) Many Federal agencies address domestic violence by
providing formula-based and discretionary grants to local,
State, and tribal governments, courts, nonprofits
organizations, community-based organizations, secondary
schools, institutions of higher education, special-issue
resource centers and State and tribal coalitions for the
purpose of supporting victims and holding perpetrators
accountable for their actions associated with domestic violence
with a lack of focus on prevention:
(A) The Department of Defense administers the
congressionally mandated Family Advocacy Program (FAP)
which is devoted to providing clinical assessment,
supportive services, and treatment in response to
domestic violence, as well as, report domestic abuse in
military families annually to Congress.
(B) The Department of State supports numerous
programs that address domestic violence globally
through its human rights and humanitarian activities,
including those housed in the Office of Global Women's
Issues that supports anti-gender-based violence (GBV)
programs and promotes awareness.
(C) Through their agency-wide efforts to address
gender inequality and gender-based violence, the U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID) supports
programs that aim to prevent and respond to domestic
violence globally through its work in development,
global health, and humanitarian assistance.
(D) The Indian Country Crimes Unit (ICCU) at the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is responsible
for developing and implementing strategies, programs,
and policies to address identified crimes problems in
Indian country, including but not limited to,
initiatives related to domestic violence and sex
offenses, program management, and support for the Safe
Trails Task Force.
(E) The Office of Justice Services at the Bureau of
Indian Affairs (BIA-OJS) has shared Federal
jurisdiction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) in handling crimes, including domestic violence,
on tribal lands.
(F) The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
collects national domestic violence crime statistics,
including through the National-Incident Based Reporting
System.
(G) The Department of Education administers the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title IV-
A Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grants
to local education agencies (LEAs) that could be used
to support initiatives to address domestic violence and
teen dating violence in schools.
(H) The Higher Education Act (HEA) requires
institutions of higher education (IHE) to include in
their annual security report (ASR) a statement of
policy regarding the IHE's programs to prevent domestic
violence, dating violence, and other related crimes,
and procedures that the IHE will follow once an
incident of domestic or dating violence has been
reported.
(I) The Department of Housing and Urban Development
(HUD), in conjunction with the Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice
(DOJ), funds housing programs for individuals and
families who are fleeing or attempting to flee their
home due to domestic violence, sexual assault, or
stalking, as well as, oversees the Domestic Violence
Housing Technical Assistance Consortium through the
Safe Housing Partnership that provides technical
assistance to community providers on housing and
domestic violence.
(J) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
(USCIS) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
accepts applications and assist survivors of domestic
violence in becoming lawful permanent residents through
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitions.
(16) According to the National Institutes of Health,
responses to domestic violence have focused, to date, primarily
on intervention after the problem has already been identified
and harm has occurred. However, there are prevention strategies
and prevention approaches from the public health field that can
serve as models for further development of domestic violence
prevention, such as a public health campaign that identifies
and addresses the underlying causes of the issues.
(17) According to the National Institutes of Health,
domestic violence prevention should be addressed along a
continuum of possible harm: (1) primary prevention to reduce
the incidence of the problem before it occurs; (2) secondary
prevention to decrease the prevalence after early signs of the
problem; and (3) tertiary prevention to intervene once the
problem is already clearly evident and causing harm.
(18) According to the National Institutes of Health,
Primary prevention include school-based programs that teach
students about domestic violence and alternative conflict-
resolution skills, and public education campaigns to increase
awareness of the harms of domestic violence and of services
available to victims.
(19) According to the National Institutes of Health,
Secondary prevention programs could include home visiting for
high-risk families and community-based programs on dating
violence for adolescents referred through child protective
services (CPS).
(20) According to the National Institutes of Health,
tertiary prevention includes the many targeted intervention
programs already in place.
(21) According to the National Institutes of Health, early
evaluations of existing prevention programs show promise, but
results are still preliminary, and programs remain small,
locally based, and scattered throughout the United States.
(22) According to the National Institutes of Health, the
United States needs a broadly based, comprehensive prevention
strategy that is supported by sound research and evaluation,
receives adequate public backing, and is based on a policy of
zero tolerance for domestic violence.
SEC. 3. NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION ACTION PLAN STEERING
COMMITTEE.
(a) Steering Committee.--With the goal of establishing a National
Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan to expand, intensify, and
coordinate domestic violence prevention programs and activities in the
United States of America, the Department of Health and Human Services
shall establish a steering committee which shall create, facilitate the
activities, and further the goals of the National Domestic Violence
Prevention Action Plan. Such committee shall consist of:
(1) The commissioner at the Administration on Children,
Youth and Families (ACYF) at the Administration for Children
and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS), who shall serve as Chair.
(2) The administrator of the Family Violence Prevention and
Services Program at the Department of Health and Human
Services, who shall serve as Vice-Chair.
(3) The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at
the Department of Health and Human Services.
(4) The administrator of the Office on Violence Against
Women at the Department of Justice.
(5) The administrator of the Division of Violence
Prevention at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
(6) The administrator of the Division of Injury Prevention
at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
(7) The administrator of the Office of Juvenile Justice and
Delinquency Prevention at the Department of Justice.
(8) The administrator of the Office of Victim of Crimes at
the Department of Justice.
(9) The Under Secretary of Education at the Department of
Education.
(10) Such other subject matter experts the Chair of the
National Domestic Violence Prevention Steering Committee deems
necessary for the creation of the functions of the National
Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan.
(b) Role of Membership Chair.--The Chair of the National Domestic
Violence Prevention Action Plan Steering Committee shall convene and
preside at the meetings of the Steering Committee, set its agenda,
coordinate its work, and, may, as appropriate to deal with particular
subject matters, establish subcommittees of the Steering Committee.
(c) Coordination of Stakeholders.--In establishing the National
Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan, the Steering Committee shall
collaborate with government and non-government stakeholders who may be
affected by the plan, including but not limited to, Federal, State,
local, and tribal officials, public health agencies, health care
providers, early childhood and child care providers, domestic violence
advocacy groups, faith-based organizations, educational agencies,
military branches, and community-based and culturally specific child
and family serving organizations.
(d) State and Local Commitment.--The Steering Committee shall seek
support and commitment of Federal, State, local, and tribal officials
in formulation and implementation of the National Domestic Violence
Prevention Action Plan.
(e) Strategy Based on Evidence.--The Steering Committee shall
ensure the National Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan is based
on the best available evidence regarding the policies and programs most
effective in preventing, reducing the prevalence, and spreading
awareness of any and all forms of domestic violence.
(f) Administration.--To the extent permitted by law and subject to
the availability of appropriations, the Administrator may provide the
National Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan Steering Committee
with administrative services, facilities, staff, and other support
services necessary for the creation of the functions of the National
Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan.
(g) Exisiting Authorities and Responsibilities.--The establishment
and operation of the National Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan
shall not be construed to diminish, supersede, or replace the
responsibilities, authorities, or role of any officer, component, or
department official.
SEC. 4. NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION ACTION PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
(a) Action Plan Promulgation.--In establishing the National
Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan, the Steering Committee shall
promulgate the National Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan, which
shall set forth a comprehensive plan to expand, intensify, and
coordinate domestic violence prevention programs and activities in the
United States of America.
(b) Content of the Action Plan.--The National Domestic Violence
Prevention Action Plan shall include but not limited to:
(1) Mission statement detailing the major functions of the
National Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan.
(2) Objectives to the National Domestic Violence Prevention
Action Plan including but not limited to:
(A) Expand coordination of domestic violence
prevention efforts among Federal, State, local, and
tribal government agencies and with other relevant
stakeholders to ensure a whole-of-government, goal-
oriented, community-informed, forward-looking approach
in addressing domestic violence prevention in the
United States.
(B) Intensify domestic violence prevention efforts
by addressing the continuum of possible harm--
(i) primary prevention to reduce the
incidence of the problem before it occurs;
(ii) secondary prevention to decrease the
prevalence after early signs of the problem;
and
(iii) tertiary prevention to intervene once
the problem is already clearly evident and
causing harm.
(C) Boost implementation of existing domestic
violence prevention efforts throughout Federal, State,
local, and tribal government agencies, as well as,
public health agencies, health care providers, early
childhood and childcare providers, domestic violence
advocacy groups, faith-based organizations, educational
agencies, military branches, and community-based and
culturally specific child and family serving
organizations.
(D) Improve evaluation of domestic violence
prevention through targeted collection and analysis of
data and research to enhance effectiveness and long-
term benefits of domestic violence prevention programs
and efforts.
(E) Enhance public awareness of domestic violence
prevention programs by establishing a national
awareness campaign focused primarily on education and
prevention.
(3) Comprehensive, research-based, long-range, quantifiable
goals for expanding, intensifying, and coordinating domestic
violence prevention programs and activities.
(4) Annual quantifiable and measurable objectives and
specific targets to accomplish long-term quantifiable goals
that the Steering Committee determines may be achieved during
each year beginning on the date on which the National Domestic
Violence Prevention Action Plan is submitted.
(5) Five-year projections and budget priorities for the
National Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan.
(6) Clear descriptions of the Steering Committee member's
roles in facilitating the development and fulfilling the goals
of the National Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan.
(7) A review of international, Federal, State, local, and
private sector domestic violence prevention programs and
activities to ensure that the United States pursues coordinated
and effective domestic violence prevention programs and
activities at all levels of government.
(8) A description of how each goal established under
subparagraph (c) was determined, including--
(A) a description of each required consultation as
pursuant to Section 3(3) and a description of how such
consultation was incorporated; and
(B) data, research, or other information used to
inform the determination to establish the goal.
(9) A description of how each goal established under
subparagraph (c) will be achieved, including for each goal--
(A) a list of each relevant national domestic
violence agencies and each such agencies' related
programs, activities, and the role of each such program
and activity in achieving such goal;
(B) a list of Federal, State, local, tribal related
programs, activities, and the role of each such program
and activity in achieving such goal;
(C) a list of relevant stakeholders and each such
stakeholder's role in achieving such goal;
(D) an estimate of Federal funding and other
resources needed to achieve such goal;
(E) a list of each existing or new coordinating
mechanism needed to achieve such goal; and
(F) a description of the Steering Committee's role
in facilitating the achievement of such goal.
(10) A list identifying existing data sources, or a
description of data collection needed to evaluate performance,
including a description of how the Steering Committee will
obtain such data.
(11) A list of any anticipated challenges to achieving the
goals of the National Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan
and planned actions to address such challenges.
(12) A description of the current prevalence and severity
of any and all forms of domestic violence in the United States.
(13) A description of the current prevalence of domestic
violence prevention programs in the United States.
(14) Such other statistical data and information as the
Steering Committee considers appropriate to demonstrate and
assess trends relating to any and all forms of domestic
violence and domestic violence prevention, and the
implementation of the National Domestic Violence Prevention
Action Plan.
(15) Methods of implementation for the National Domestic
Violence Prevention Action Plan.
(16) Recommendations on research, programs, activities, and
resources necessary to achieve the goals of the National
Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan.
(c) Program of Activities.--The National Domestic Violence
Prevention Action Plan shall include a coherent, comprehensive, and
sustained program of activities that include actions to expand,
intensify, and coordinate meaningful and effective prevention programs
in all states, tribal and U.S. territories. Such programs will:
(1) Embrace a human rights-based approach that acknowledges
that domestic violence is a violation of human rights and
accounts for the disparate impact of domestic violence on
marginalized communities.
(2) Address prevention of any and all forms of domestic
violence, including all violence that happens across the life
course; violence in public and private spheres; violence in the
workplace, including within U.S. Armed Forces; and violence in
national contexts.
(3) Address the root causes, prevalence, and impact of any
and all forms of domestic violence, including social and
cultural norms and other associated factors.
(4) Tailor strategies to address factors, including but not
limited to, race, color, religion, national or social origin,
marital status, housing status, sexual orientation, HIV/AIDS
status, migrant or refugee status, age, disability, or any
other relevant characteristics and any of these in combination
that contribute to higher rates of any and all forms of
domestic violence.
(5) Identify gaps in any and all existing domestic violence
prevention programs with the goal of addressing the gaps in
future work.
(6) Support government and non-government organizations and
community networks to drive activity at the State and local
level and ensure coordinated action across all states and
localities.
(7) Support independent research on emerging issues that
impact any and all forms of domestic violence.
(8) Collect, communicate, and analyze comprehensive
qualitative and quantitative data, disaggregated by sex, race,
age, ethnicity, and other relevant characteristics, on the
nature, prevalence, and impact of any and all forms of domestic
violence.
(9) Build quantity and quality of professionals involved in
the prevention of any and all forms of domestic violence.
(10) Support broader efforts to ensure gender equality and
engage people of all genders and sexualities in combating any
and all forms of domestic violence.
(d) Media Campaign.--The National Domestic Violence Prevention
Action Plan shall include a media campaign led by the Department of
Health and Human Services to facilitate direct, ongoing, and meaningful
engagement with the public as it relates to domestic violence
prevention.
(1) Purpose of media campaign.--
(A) educate the public on prevention of any and all
forms of domestic violence;
(B) engage with the public on bystander empowerment
and education;
(C) teach safe and healthy relationship skills
through social-emotional learning;
(D) create protective environments through improved
school climate, workplace climate, community climate,
as well as, Federal, State, local, tribal, and
organizational policies;
(E) disrupt the developmental pathways towards
domestic violence through parenting and family
relationship programs, treatment for at-risk children,
faith-based programs, and other culturally specific
programming; and
(F) combat the stigmas associated with any and all
forms of domestic violence.
(2) Content of media campaign.--The Department of Health
and Human Services shall create a media campaign or enter into
a contract with an outside agency using strategies demonstrated
to be the most effective at achieving the goals and
requirements of paragraph (a), which shall include, but not
limited to:
(A) The development of national, local, regional,
or population specific messaging, including messaging
specific to professional groups, such as public health
leaders, health care providers, early childhood and
child care providers, domestic violence providers,
faith-based leaders, educators, military leaders, and
community-based and culturally specific child and
family serving organizations.
(B) The development of social media campaigns to
reach targeted populations.
(C) The development of a website to publicize and
disseminate information.
(D) The development of informational and
educational pamphlets and brochures.
(E) The development of webinars to educate and
provide support.
(3) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized
to be appropriated to the Department of Health and Human
Services to carry out this section, $25,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2025 through 2029.
SEC. 5. STRENGTHEN INFORMATION TO STATE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COALITIONS
WITH RESPECT TO THE NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION
ACTION PLAN.
(a) Dissemination of Information.--The National Domestic Violence
Prevention Action Plan Steering Committee, acting through the
Department of Health and Human Services, shall develop and disseminate
to State domestic violence coalitions information on the National
Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan and its respected Media
Campaign.
SEC. 6. ACCOUNTABILITY OF THE NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION
ACTION PLAN.
(a) Reporting Requirements.--Not later than the first Monday in
October following the year of enactment, and biannually thereafter, the
National Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan Steering Committee
shall submit to Congress in the form of written correspondence a
National Domestic Violence Prevention Action Plan.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line