I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1704

To amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to provide for transitional 

housing assistance grants for child victims of domestic violence. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 9, 2003

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Mr. HOUGHTON, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Mr. BROWN of Ohio, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Ms. LEE, Ms. JACKSONLEE of Texas, Mr. JACKSON of Illinois, Mr. SANDLIN, Mr. CUMMINGS, 

Mrs. MALONEY, Mrs. CAPPS, Mr. WEXLER, Mr. ISRAEL, Mr. RUSH, Mr. 

HINCHEY, Mr. HOEFFEL, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. GONZALEZ, Ms. 

MILLENDER-MCDONALD, Ms. NORTON, Ms. BALDWIN, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. 

UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. COSTELLO, and Mr. OLVER) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and 

in addition to the Committee on Financial Services, for a period to be 

subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 

of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL

To amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to 

provide for transitional housing assistance grants for 

child victims of domestic violence.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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1 SECTION 1. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS 

2 FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIO3 LENCE, STALKING, OR SEXUAL ASSAULT. 

4 Subtitle B of the Violence Against Women Act of 

5 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13701 note; 108 Stat. 1925) is amended 

6 by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘CHAPTER 11—TRANSITIONAL HOUSING 

8 ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR CHILD VIC9 TIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, STALK10 ING, OR SEXUAL ASSAULT 

11 ‘‘SEC. 40299. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS 

12 FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIO13 LENCE, STALKING, OR SEXUAL ASSAULT. 

14 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General, acting in 

15 consultation with the Director of the Violence Against 

16 Women Office of the Department of Justice, shall award 

17 grants under this section to States, units of local govern18 ment, Indian tribes, and other organizations (referred to 

19 in this section as the ‘recipient’) to carry out programs 

20 to provide assistance to minors, adults, and their depend21 ents—

22 ‘‘(1) who are homeless, or in need of transi23 tional housing or other housing assistance, as a re24 sult of fleeing a situation of domestic violence; and 
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1 ‘‘(2) for whom emergency shelter services or 

2 other crisis intervention services are unavailable or 

3 insufficient. 

4 ‘‘(b) GRANTS.—Grants awarded under this section 

5 may be used for programs that provide—

6 ‘‘(1) short-term housing assistance, including 

7 rental or utilities payments assistance and assistance 

8 with related expenses such as payment of security 

9 deposits and other costs incidental to relocation to 

10 transitional housing for persons described in sub11 section (a); and 

12 ‘‘(2) support services designed to enable a 

13 minor, an adult, or a dependent of such minor or 

14 adult, who is fleeing a situation of domestic violence 

15 to—

16 ‘‘(A) locate and secure permanent housing; 

17 and 

18 ‘‘(B) integrate into a community by pro19 viding that minor, adult, or dependent with 

20 services, such as transportation, counseling, 

21 child care services, case management, employ22 ment counseling, and other assistance. 

23 ‘‘(c) DURATION.—

24 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para25 graph (2), a minor, an adult, or a dependent, who 
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1 receives assistance under this section shall receive 

2 that assistance for not more than 18 months. 

3 ‘‘(2) WAIVER.—The recipient of a grant under 

4 this section may waive the restriction under para5 graph (1) for not more than an additional 6 month 

6 period with respect to any minor, adult, or depend7 ent, who—

8 ‘‘(A) has made a good-faith effort to ac9 quire permanent housing; and 

10 ‘‘(B) has been unable to acquire perma11 nent housing. 

12 ‘‘(d) APPLICATION.—

13 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each eligible entity desir14 ing a grant under this section shall submit an appli15 cation to the Attorney General at such time, in such 

16 manner, and accompanied by such information as 

17 the Attorney General may reasonably require. 

18 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—Each application submitted 

19 pursuant to paragraph (1) shall—

20 ‘‘(A) describe the activities for which as21 sistance under this section is sought; and 

22 ‘‘(B) provide such additional assurances as 

23 the Attorney General determines to be essential 

24 to ensure compliance with the requirements of 

25 this section.
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1 ‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—Nothing in this subsection 

2 shall be construed to require—

3 ‘‘(A) victims to participate in the criminal 

4 justice system in order to receive services; or 

5 ‘‘(B) domestic violence advocates to breach 

6 client confidentiality. 

7 ‘‘(e) REPORT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.—

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—A recipient of a grant 

9 under this section shall annually prepare and submit 

10 to the Attorney General a report describing—

11 ‘‘(A) the number of minors, adults, and de12 pendents assisted under this section; and 

13 ‘‘(B) the types of housing assistance and 

14 support services provided under this section. 

15 ‘‘(2) CONTENTS.—Each report prepared and 

16 submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include 

17 information regarding—

18 ‘‘(A) the amount of housing assistance pro19 vided to each minor, adult, or dependent, as20 sisted under this section and the reason for that 

21 assistance; 

22 ‘‘(B) the number of months each minor, 

23 adult, or dependent, received assistance under 

24 this section; 
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1 ‘‘(C) the number of minors, adults, and de2 pendents who—

3 ‘‘(i) were eligible to receive assistance 

4 under this section; and 

5 ‘‘(ii) were not provided with assistance 

6 under this section solely due to a lack of 

7 available housing; and 

8 ‘‘(D) the type of support services provided 

9 to each minor, adult, or dependent, assisted 

10 under this section. 

11 ‘‘(f) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—

12 ‘‘(1) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—The Attor13 ney General, with the Director of the Violence 

14 Against Women Office, shall annually prepare and 

15 submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the 

16 House of Representatives and the Committee on the 

17 Judiciary of the Senate a report that contains a 

18 compilation of the information contained in the re19 port submitted under subsection (e). 

20 ‘‘(2) AVAILABILITY OF REPORT.—In order to 

21 coordinate efforts to assist the victims of domestic 

22 violence, the Attorney General, in coordination with 

23 the Director of the Violence Against Women Office, 

24 shall transmit a copy of the report submitted under 

25 paragraph (1) to—
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1 ‘‘(A) the Office of Community Planning 

2 and Development at the United States Depart3 ment of Housing and Urban Development; and 

4 ‘‘(B) the Office of Women’s Health at the 

5 United States Department of Health and 

6 Human Services. 

7 ‘‘(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—

8 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 

9 appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 

10 for each of the fiscal years 2004 through 2008. 

11 ‘‘(2) LIMITATIONS.—Of the amount made avail12 able to carry out this section in any fiscal year, not 

13 more than 3 percent may be used by the Attorney 

14 General for salaries and administrative expenses. 

15 ‘‘(3) MINIMUM AMOUNT.—

16 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 

17 subparagraph (B), unless all eligible applica18 tions submitted by any States, units of local 

19 government, Indian tribes, or organizations 

20 within a State for a grant under this section 

21 have been funded, that State, together with the 

22 grantees within the State (other than Indian 

23 tribes), shall be allocated in each fiscal year, 

24 not less than 0.75 percent of the total amount 
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1 appropriated in the fiscal year for grants pursu2 ant to this section. 

3 ‘‘(B) EXCEPTION.—The United States Vir4 gin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the 

5 Northern Mariana Islands shall each be allo6 cated not less than 0.25 percent of the total 

7 amount appropriated in the fiscal year for 

8 grants pursuant to this section.’’.

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