II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1959 

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 

JUNE 25, 2019 

Mr. SULLIVAN (for himself and Ms. HARRIS) 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 02:25 Jun 29, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1959.IS S1959

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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) assert their rights as victims in a 

7 criminal proceeding, other than prosecu8 tion, directly related to the victimization, 

9 or otherwise protect their safety, privacy, 

10 or other interests as victims in such pro11 ceedings; 

12 ‘‘(ii) initiate or respond to motions to 

13 vacate or expunge a conviction, or similar 

14 actions, where the jurisdiction permits 

15 such a legal action based on a person’s 

16 being a crime victim; and 

17 ‘‘(iii) other legal actions, other than 

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

19 reasonably necessary as a direct result of 

20 the victimization, such as— 

21 ‘‘(I) civil legal assistance with di22 vorce, child custody, child welfare, and 

23 support proceedings with cor24 responding enforcement; 


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1 ‘‘(II) assistance with and rep2 resentation at proceedings for protec3 tive orders, restraining orders, or 

4 other stay-away orders; 

5 ‘‘(III) assistance with contract, 

6 housing, employment, education, 

7 healthcare, benefits, and privacy mat8 ters; and 

9 ‘‘(IV) intervention with creditors, 

10 law enforcement officers, and other 

11 entities on behalf of survivors of iden12 tity theft and financial fraud. 

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

14 entity seeking distribution of grant funds re15 ceived by a State under this subsection shall 

16 meet the eligibility requirements described in 

17 subsection (d). 

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

19 grant under this subsection shall submit an applica20 tion to the Attorney General at such time and in 

21 such manner as the Attorney General may reason22 ably require.’’; and 

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

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


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

2 of fiscal years 2020 through 2024’’. 

Æ 


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