National Domestic Violence Hotline Act of 1993

Summary: National Domestic Violence Hotline Act of 1993 - Amends the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide a grant to a nonprofit private organization for a national, toll-free telephone hotline to provide information and assistance to victims of domestic violence. Authorizes appropriations.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``National Domestic Violence Hotline 
Act of 1993''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) 4,000,000 women are battered by their partners each 
        year, of which 4,000 die as a result of such abuse;
            (2) victims of domestic violence need access to resources 
        which will refer such victims and their children to safe homes 
        and shelters; and
            (3) there is a need for a national domestic violence 
        hotline to provide information and assistance to victims of 
        domestic violence because a privately-funded national domestic 
        violence hotline which handled more than 65,000 crisis calls 
        annually no longer exists.

SEC. 3. GRANT FOR NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE.

    The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10401 et 
seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 316. NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE GRANT.

    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall provide a grant to a 
nonprofit private organization to establish and operate a national, 
toll-free telephone hotline to provide information and assistance to 
victims of domestic violence. A grant provided under this subsection 
may extend over a period of not more than 3 fiscal years and the 
provision of payments under such grant shall be subject to the annual 
approval by the Secretary and subject to the availability of 
appropriations for the fiscal year involved to make the payments.
    ``(b) Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary may not provide a grant 
        under subsection (a) unless an application that meets the 
        requirements of paragraph (2) has been approved by the 
        Secretary.
            ``(2) Requirements.--An application meets the requirements 
        of this paragraph if the application--
                    ``(A) contains such agreements, assurances, and 
                information, and is in such form and submitted in such 
                manner as the Secretary shall prescribe through notice 
                in the Federal Register;
                    ``(B) demonstrates that the applicant has 
                nationally recognized expertise in the area of domestic 
                violence and a record of high quality service to 
                victims of domestic violence, including support from 
                advocacy groups, particularly State coalitions and 
                recognized national domestic violence groups;
                    ``(C) demonstrates that the applicant has a 
                commitment to diversity, including the hiring of and 
                provision of services to ethnic, racial, cultural, and 
                non-English speaking minorities, in addition to older 
                individuals and individuals with disabilities;
                    ``(D) demonstrates that the applicant has the 
                ability to integrate the hotline into existing services 
                provided by the applicant to victims of domestic 
                violence;
                    ``(E) includes a complete description of the 
                applicant's plan for the establishment and operation of 
                the hotline, including a description of--
                            ``(i) the hiring criteria and training 
                        program for hotline personnel;
                            ``(ii) the methods for the creation, 
                        maintenance, and updating of a resource 
                        database for the hotline;
                            ``(iii) a plan for providing service on a 
                        24-hour-a-day basis to non-English speaking 
                        callers, including hotline personnel who speak 
                        Spanish;
                            ``(iv) a plan for access to the hotline by 
                        individuals with hearing impairments; and
                            ``(v) a plan for publicizing the 
                        availability of the hotline; and
                    ``(F) contains such other information as the 
                Secretary may require.
    ``(c) Selection.--The Secretary shall select a nonprofit private 
organization to receive a grant under subsection (a) which has been in 
existence for at least 5 years from the date of submission of the 
application by the organization.
    ``(d) Uses.--A grant made under subsection (a) shall be used to 
establish and operate a national, toll-free telephone hotline to 
provide information and assistance to victims of domestic violence. In 
establishing and operating the hotline, a nonprofit private 
organization shall--
            ``(1) contract with a carrier for the use of a toll-free 
        telephone line;
            ``(2) employ, train, and supervise personnel to answer 
        incoming calls and provide counseling and referral services to 
        callers on a 24-hour-a-day basis;
            ``(3) establish, maintain, and update a database of 
        information relating to services for victims of domestic 
        violence, including information on the availability of shelters 
        that serve battered women; and
            ``(4) publicize the hotline to potential users throughout 
        the United States.
    ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
            ``(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
        to carry out this section $1,000,000 for each of the fiscal 
        years 1994 through 1996.
            ``(2) Availability.--Funds authorized to be appropriated 
        under paragraph (1) shall remain available until expended.''.