II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3114 

To expand and improve the Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program 

to ensure legal assistance is provided for survivors in proceedings related 

to domestic violence and sexual assault, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

OCTOBER 28, 2021 

Mr. SULLIVAN (for himself and Mr. PADILLA) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

A BILL 

To expand and improve the Legal Assistance for Victims 

Grant Program to ensure legal assistance is provided 

for survivors in proceedings related to domestic violence 

and sexual assault, 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 ‘‘Ensuring Representa5 tion for Survivors Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. ENSURING ACCESS TO LEGAL ASSISTANCE IN PRO2 CEEDINGS RELATED TO DOMESTIC VIO3 LENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT. 

4 Section 1201 of the Violence Against Women Act of 

5 2000 (34 U.S.C. 20121) is amended— 

6 (1) by redesignating subsection (f) as sub7 section (g); 

8 (2) by inserting after subsection (e) the fol9 lowing: 

10 ‘‘(f) GRANTS TO STATES TO ENSURE ACCESS TO

11 LEGAL ASSISTANCE.— 

12 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In each fiscal year, the At13 torney General shall award to each State submitting 

14 an application under paragraph (3) a grant in an 

15 amount equal to .5 percent of the total amount ap16 propriated under subsection (g) for the fiscal year, 

17 to be used to provide legal assistance to survivors of 

18 domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sex19 ual assault, with the goal of all survivors of domestic 

20 violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual assault 

21 receiving legal assistance. 

22 ‘‘(2) USE OF FUNDS.— 

23 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Any funds received by 

24 a State under this subsection shall be distrib25 uted by the State to public or private entities 

26 within the State to implement, expand, and esVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:25 Nov 02, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3114.IS S3114

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1 tablish efforts and projects to provide legal as2 sistance, including pro bono representation and 

3 legal advocacy, to help survivors of domestic vi4 olence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual as5 sault— 

6 ‘‘(i) initiate or respond to motions to 

7 vacate or expunge a conviction, or similar 

8 actions, where the jurisdiction permits 

9 such a legal action based on a person’s 

10 being a crime victim; and 

11 ‘‘(ii) other legal actions, other than 

12 tort actions, which, in the civil context, are 

13 reasonably necessary as a direct result of 

14 the victimization, such as— 

15 ‘‘(I) civil legal assistance with di16 vorce, child custody, child welfare, and 

17 support proceedings with cor18 responding enforcement; 

19 ‘‘(II) assistance with and rep20 resentation at proceedings for protec21 tive orders, restraining orders, or 

22 other stay-away orders; 

23 ‘‘(III) assistance with contract, 

24 housing, employment, education, 


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1 healthcare, benefits, and privacy mat2 ters; and 

3 ‘‘(IV) intervention with creditors, 

4 law enforcement officers, and other 

5 entities on behalf of survivors of iden6 tity theft and financial fraud. 

7 ‘‘(B) ELIGIBILITY.—A public or private 

8 entity seeking distribution of grant funds re9 ceived by a State under this subsection shall 

10 meet the eligibility requirements described in 

11 subsection (d). 

12 ‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—Each State seeking a 

13 grant under this subsection shall submit an applica14 tion to the Attorney General at such time and in 

15 such manner as the Attorney General may reason16 ably require.’’; and 

17 (3) in subsection (g), as so redesignated, by 

18 striking ‘‘$57,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 

19 through 2018’’ and inserting ‘‘$80,000,000 for each 

20 of fiscal years 2021 through 2025’’. 

Æ 


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