II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 5279 

To establish a pilot program to address technology-related abuse in domestic 

violence cases. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 15, 2022 

Mr. WYDEN introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To establish a pilot program to address technology-related 

abuse in domestic violence cases. 

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 ‘‘Tech Safety for Vic5 tims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual As6 sault, and Stalking Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

8 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) In the United States, 27 percent of women 

2 and 11 percent of men experience some form of 

3 physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner. 

4 (2) Many victims of intimate partner violence 

5 also experience nonphysical forms of abuse. 

6 (3) With the proliferation of digital technology, 

7 technological abuse has become increasingly preva8 lent and pervasive among victims of intimate partner 

9 violence. 

10 (4) According to a 2021 study by the National 

11 Network to End Domestic Violence, 97 percent of 

12 the programs providing support to victims of inti13 mate partner violence have indicated that abusers 

14 are making use of technology to stalk, harass, or 

15 control victims. 

16 (5) In the United States, 1 in 3 women under 

17 the age of 35 report being sexually harassed online, 

18 and over half of LGBTQ+ individuals report being 

19 the target of online abuse based on their sexual ori20 entation or gender. 

21 (6) Of victims who are stalked using tech22 nology— 

23 (A) 67 percent received unwanted phone 

24 calls, voice messages, or text messages; 


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1 (B) 50 percent received unwanted emails 

2 or messages via the internet; 

3 (C) about 35 percent said their activities 

4 were monitored using social media; 

5 (D) 27 percent experienced the offender 

6 posting or threatening to post inappropriate, 

7 unwanted, or personal information about them 

8 on the internet; and 

9 (E) 19 percent said the offender spied on 

10 them or monitored their activities using tech11 nologies such as listening devices, cameras, or 

12 computer or cellphone monitoring software. 

13 (7) Technological abuse runs the gamut of tech14 nical sophistication, from the most basic social 

15 media platforms and phone-based apps to specialty 

16 stalkerware apps, demonstrating that technological 

17 abuse does not require huge financial resources or 

18 complex knowledge of technology. 

19 (8) Rapid advances in the technology and meth20 ods for technological abuse present challenges for 

21 advocates seeking to advise victims and prevent tech22 nological abuse. 

23 (9) The integration of trained technology ex24 perts into survivor support networks has been sucVerDate Sep 11 2014 15:51 Dec 29, 2022 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S5279.IS S5279

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1 cessful in preventing and shielding survivors from 

2 technological abuse. 

3 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

4 In this Act: 

5 (1) DIRECTOR.—The term ‘‘Director’’ means 

6 the Director of the Office on Violence Against 

7 Women. 

8 (2) ELIGIBLE CONSORTIUM.—The term ‘‘eligi9 ble consortium’’ means an association— 

10 (A) between— 

11 (i)(I) 1 or more institutions of higher 

12 education that offers a masters, doctoral, 

13 or vocational program in information tech14 nology, cybersecurity, computer science, or 

15 other similar technological discipline; or 

16 (II) 1 or more private or public sector 

17 partners in the community with a technical 

18 workforce and a plan for recruiting tech19 nologists or volunteers to work alongside a 

20 victim service provider (as defined in sec21 tion 40002(a) of the Violence Against 

22 Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 

23 12291(a))); and 

24 (ii) 1 or more public or private domes25 tic violence or sexual violence centers; and 


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1 (B) which has a letter of support from the 

2 local, State, Tribal, or territorial government 

3 with jurisdiction over the area in which the ac4 tivities to combat technological abuse will be 

5 implemented. 

6 (3) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.—The 

7 term ‘‘institution of higher education’’ has the 

8 meaning given that term in section 101 of the High9 er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001). 

10 (4) PILOT PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘pilot pro11 gram’’ means the pilot program established under 

12 section 4(a)(1). 

13 (5) TECHNOLOGICAL ABUSE.—The term ‘‘tech14 nological abuse’’ has the meaning given the term in 

15 section 40002(a)(40) of the Violence Against 

16 Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12291(a)(40)). 

17 SEC. 4. PILOT PROGRAM TO COMBAT TECHNOLOGICAL 

18 ABUSE. 

19 (a) PILOT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.— 

20 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Director, in accordance 

21 with paragraph (2), shall establish a pilot program 

22 under which the Director may award grants to eligi23 ble consortia to combat technological abuse. 

24 (2) CONSULTATION.—In preparing to establish 

25 the pilot program— 


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1 (A) the Director shall consult with— 

2 (i) the Secretary of Health and 

3 Human Services; 

4 (ii) the Secretary of Education; and 

5 (iii) the Chairman of the Federal 

6 Communications Commission; and 

7 (B) the Director and the officers described 

8 in subparagraph (A) shall consult with relevant 

9 stakeholders, including— 

10 (i) groups that work on reducing tech11 nological abuse; and 

12 (ii) population specific and culturally 

13 specific victim service providers. 

14 (3) APPLICATION.—An eligible consortium de15 siring a grant under this section shall submit to the 

16 Director an application at such time, in such man17 ner, and containing or accompanied by such infor18 mation, as the Director may reasonably require. 

19 (4) GRANT LIMITS.— 

20 (A) AWARD AMOUNT.—A grant awarded 

21 under the pilot program shall be in an amount 

22 that is not more than $2,000,000. 

23 (B) NUMBER OF RECIPIENTS.—Not more 

24 than 15 grants may be awarded under the pilot 

25 program. 


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1 (5) DURATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.—The pilot 

2 program shall terminate on the date that is 5 years 

3 after the date of the first award under the pilot pro4 gram. 

5 (b) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.—A recipient of a grant 

6 under this section may use the amounts received under 

7 the grant to combat technological abuse, including for— 

8 (1) the purchase of new technological devices 

9 for victims and survivors of technological abuse; and 

10 (2) any other use, including the provision of vic11 tim services, that will reduce technological abuse or 

12 assist victims and survivors of technological abuse. 

13 (c) PILOT PROGRAM REVIEW.— 

14 (1) DURING PILOT PROGRAM.—Not later than 3 

15 years after the date of the first award under the 

16 pilot program, the Director shall submit to each 

17 committee of Congress with jurisdiction of the activi18 ties carried out under the pilot program a report— 

19 (A) reviewing the efficacy of the pilot pro20 gram; 

21 (B) indicating challenges to implementa22 tion and possible solutions; and 

23 (C) including a recommendation relating to 

24 whether the pilot program should be turned 

25 into a permanent program. 


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1 (2) AFTER PILOT PROGRAM TERMINATION.— 

2 Not later than 1 year after the date on which the 

3 pilot program terminates under subsection (a)(5), 

4 the Director shall submit to each committee of Con5 gress with jurisdiction of the activities carried out 

6 under the pilot program a report reviewing the effi7 cacy of the pilot program, including best practices 

8 and improvements needed to combat technological 

9 abuse. 

10 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

11 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are nec12 essary to carry out this section. 

13 SEC. 5. GRANT PROGRAM TO PROVIDE EDUCATION ON 

14 TECHNOLOGICAL ABUSE. 

15 (a) GRANT PROGRAM AUTHORIZED.—The Director 

16 in consultation with the Secretary of Education and the 

17 Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish 

18 a program under which the Director may award grants 

19 to nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher edu20 cation to develop and implement training and educational 

21 programs and technical assistance for organizations and 

22 individuals who provide support for victims of techno23 logical abuse. 


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1 (b) MULTIPLE GRANTS.—A recipient of a grant 

2 under section 4 is not barred from receiving a grant under 

3 this section. 

4 (c) USE OF GRANT FUNDS.—A nonprofit organiza5 tion or institution of higher education shall use the 

6 amounts received under a grant under this section to de7 velop tools, curricula, and other materials. 

8 (d) GRANT PROGRAM LIMITS.— 

9 (1) MAXIMUM AMOUNT.—The Director may 

10 award a total of not more than $20,000,000 in 

11 grants under this section. 

12 (2) PERIOD OF GRANTS.—The Director shall 

13 award grants under this section for a period of 5 

14 years. 

15 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

16 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are nec17 essary to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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