II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4462 

To establish a pilot program within the Office on Violence Against Women 

of the Department of Justice relating to advocacy for domestic violence, 

sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking victims, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 23, 2022 

Ms. CORTEZ MASTO introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To establish a pilot program within the Office on Violence 

Against Women of the Department of Justice relating 

to advocacy for domestic violence, sexual assault, dating 

violence, and stalking victims, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Reaching Every Sur5 vivor with Police and On-site Nonprofit Services Evalua6 tions Act of 2022’’ or the ‘‘RESPONSE Act of 2022’’. 

7 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM. 

8 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) DATING VIOLENCE; DOMESTIC VIOLENCE; 

2 VICTIM ADVOCATE.—The terms ‘‘dating violence’’, 

3 ‘‘domestic violence’’, and ‘‘victim advocate’’ have the 

4 meaning given those term in section 40002 of the 

5 Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 

6 12291). 

7 (2) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

8 the Director of the Office on Violence Against 

9 Women of the Department of Justice. 

10 (3) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti11 ty’’ means a community-based organization or a vic12 tim service provider (as defined in section 40002 of 

13 the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 

14 12291)) that— 

15 (A) has demonstrated capacity to assist 

16 victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dat17 ing violence, or stalking in crisis through a vic18 tim advocate program; 

19 (B) is prepared to provide victim-centered, 

20 culturally relevant, and trauma-informed serv21 ices to victims of domestic violence, sexual as22 sault, dating violence, or stalking; 

23 (C) has a cooperative agreement or memo24 randum of understanding in effect with a local 

25 law enforcement agency that indicates a partVerDate Sep 11 2014 17:20 Jun 28, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4462.IS S4462

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1 nership in responding to domestic violence, sex2 ual assault, dating violence, or stalking; and 

3 (D) operates a transitional shelter for do4 mestic or sexual assault victims or has a coop5 erative agreement with a local transitional shel6 ter that can house victims assisted by a victim 

7 advocate of the eligible entity on the crime 

8 scene of a domestic violence, sexual assault, 

9 dating violence, or stalking call if necessary. 

10 (4) LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.—The term 

11 ‘‘law enforcement agency’’ has the meaning given 

12 the term ‘‘law enforcement’’ in section 40002 of the 

13 Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 

14 12291). 

15 (5) LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.—The term 

16 ‘‘law enforcement officer’’ means an agent of a law 

17 enforcement agency with responsibilities to provide 

18 public safety. 

19 (b) PILOT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall establish 

21 a pilot program under which the Director awards 

22 competitive grants to eligible entities for the purpose 

23 of working collaboratively with local law enforcement 

24 agencies to dispatch victim advocates to domestic viVerDate Sep 11 2014 17:20 Jun 28, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4462.IS S4462

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1 olence, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalking 

2 crime scenes in accordance with paragraph (2). 

3 (2) CRIME SCENE ADVOCACY.—With respect to 

4 a crime scene to which a victim advocate is dis5 patched under paragraph (1)— 

6 (A) the victim advocate shall arrive at the 

7 crime scene— 

8 (i) after the crime scene is secured by 

9 a law enforcement officer; 

10 (ii) when an arrest is made; or 

11 (iii) when there is probable cause to 

12 make an arrest, but the perpetrator of the 

13 crime has fled; and 

14 (B) a law enforcement officer shall remain 

15 at the crime scene while the victim advocate 

16 meets with a victim. 

17 (3) VICTIM CONFIDENTIALITY.—A victim of do18 mestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, or 

19 stalking who receives advice, counseling, or assist20 ance from a victim advocate under this subsection 

21 shall have the privilege to refuse to disclose, and to 

22 prevent any other person from disclosing, confiden23 tial communications. 


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1 (4) MINIMUM NUMBER OF AWARDS.—The Di2 rector shall award not fewer than 3 grants under 

3 this subsection. 

4 (c) APPLICATIONS.—An eligible entity seeking a 

5 grant under subsection (b) shall submit to the Director 

6 an application at such at such time, in such manner, and 

7 containing or accompanied by such information as the Di8 rector may reasonably require. 

9 (d) DURATION; STAGES.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—The pilot program estab11 lished under subsection (b) shall terminate on the 

12 date that is 3 years after the date on which the Di13 rector notifies the first eligible entity that eligible 

14 entity is receiving a grant under the pilot program. 

15 (2) 2ND AND FINAL YEARS.—During the 2-year 

16 period beginning on the date on which the Director 

17 awards a grant under this section, the Director shall 

18 continue to implement the pilot program established 

19 under subsection (b). 

20 (e) DUTIES OF ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The head of the 

21 eligible entity shall— 

22 (1) hire additional staff— 

23 (A) to dispatch victim advocates to crime 

24 scenes in accordance with subsection (b)(2); or 


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1 (B) if a crime scene is not accessible to a 

2 victim advocate in accordance with subsection 

3 (b)(2)(A), to work with the victim of a crime at 

4 another location; 

5 (2) develop policies for collaborating with law 

6 enforcement agencies on dispatching victim advo7 cates to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating vio8 lence, or stalking crime scenes; 

9 (3) train the staff and volunteers of the eligible 

10 entity and each law enforcement agency with which 

11 the eligible entity has a partnership on the policies 

12 developed under paragraph (2); and 

13 (4) begin implementing the pilot program estab14 lished under subsection (b). 

15 (f) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 

16 a grant under subsection (b) shall use a portion of the 

17 grant to— 

18 (1) acquire or update dispatch software, as nec19 essary; and 

20 (2) acquire language interpretation services 

21 that allow victim advocates to communicate with in22 dividuals with limited English proficiency. 

23 (g) REPORT.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after 

25 the date of enactment of this Act, the Director shall 


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1 make public a report that includes data collection 

2 and analysis relating to domestic violence, sexual as3 sault, dating violence, or stalking calls in which vic4 tim advocates of the eligible entity were involved 

5 during the pilot program established under this sec6 tion. 

7 (2) CONTENTS.—The report required under 

8 paragraph (1) shall include— 

9 (A) a description of the activities and ac10 complishments of the eligible entity in partici11 pating in the pilot program; 

12 (B) the total number of times that a victim 

13 advocate of the eligible entity was dispatched or 

14 arrived to the crime scene of a domestic vio15 lence, sexual assault, dating violence, or stalk16 ing call; 

17 (C) whether the eligible entity observed a 

18 reduction in repeat domestic violence, dating vi19 olence, sexual assault, or stalking calls; 

20 (D) whether victims connected with serv21 ices of the eligible entity beyond the advocacy 

22 occurring at a crime scene; and 

23 (E) any other information relating to the 

24 pilot program. 


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1 (h) EXPANSION.—Notwithstanding subsection (d)(1), 

2 the Director may continue and expand the pilot program 

3 by awarding additional grants under subsection (b) if, dur4 ing the third year of the pilot program established under 

5 this section, the Director determines that data from the 

6 pilot program is promising in reducing— 

7 (1) homicides as a result of domestic violence, 

8 dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; and 

9 (2) repeated calls relating to domestic violence, 

10 dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking from the 

11 same individuals. 

12 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Of the 

13 amounts authorized to be appropriated for discretionary 

14 grants under part U of title I of the Omnibus Crime Con15 trol and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10461 et 

16 seq.) for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2025, such 

17 sums as may be necessary are authorized to be appro18 priated to carry out this section for each of those fiscal 

19 years. 

Æ 


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