I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5267 

To protect the pets of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, 

and dating violence. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 30, 2014 

Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts (for herself and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) introduced 

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

and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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 protect the pets of victims of domestic violence, sexual 

assault, stalking, and dating violence. 

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 ‘‘Pet and Women Safety 

5 Act of 2014’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PET INVOLVEMENT IN CRIMES RELATED TO DO7 MESTIC VIOLENCE AND STALKING. 

8 (a) INTERSTATE STALKING.—Section 2261A of title 

9 18, United States Code, is amended— 

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1 (1) in paragraph (1)(A)— 

2 (A) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 

3 end; and 

4 (B) by inserting after clause (iii) the fol5 lowing: 

6 ‘‘(iv) the pet of that person; or’’; and 

7 (2) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ‘‘or (iii)’’ 

8 and inserting ‘‘(iii), or (iv)’’. 

9 (b) INTERSTATE VIOLATION OF PROTECTION

10 ORDER.—Section 2262 of title 18, United States Code, 

11 is amended— 

12 (1) in subsection (a)— 

13 (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting after 

14 ‘‘another person’’ the following: ‘‘or the pet of 

15 that person’’; and 

16 (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting after 

17 ‘‘proximity to, another person’’ the following 

18 ‘‘or the pet of that person’’; and 

19 (2) in subsection (b)(5), by inserting after ‘‘in 

20 any other case,’’ the following: ‘‘including any case 

21 where the offense is committed against a pet,’’. 

22 (c) RESTITUTION TO INCLUDE VETERINARY SERV23 ICES.—Section 2264 of title 18, United States Code, is 

24 amended in subsection (b)(3)— 

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1 (1) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as sub2 paragraph (G); 

3 (2) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

4 the end; and 

5 (3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the fol6 lowing: 

7 ‘‘(F) veterinary services relating to phys8 ical care for the victim’s pet; and’’. 

9 (d) PET DEFINED.—Section 2266 of title 18, United 

10 States Code, is amended by inserting after paragraph (10) 

11 the following: 

12 ‘‘(11) PET.—The term ‘pet’ means a domes13 ticated animal, such as a dog, cat, bird, rodent, fish, 

14 turtle, horse, or other animal that is kept for pleas15 ure rather than for commercial purposes.’’. 

16 SEC. 3. EMERGENCY AND TRANSITIONAL PET SHELTER 

17 AND HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANT PRO18 GRAM. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture, act20 ing in consultation with the Director of the Violence 

21 Against Women Office of the Department of Justice, the 

22 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and the 

23 Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall award 

24 grants under this section to eligible entities to carry out 

25 programs to provide the assistance described in subsection 

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1 (c) with respect to victims of domestic violence, dating vio2 lence, sexual assault, or stalking and the pets of such vic3 tims. 

4 (b) APPLICATION.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity seeking a 

6 grant under this section shall submit an application 

7 to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 

8 containing such information as the Secretary may 

9 reasonably require, including— 

10 (A) a description of the activities for which 

11 a grant under this section is sought; 

12 (B) such assurances as the Secretary de13 termines to be necessary to ensure compliance 

14 by the entity with the requirements of this sec15 tion; and 

16 (C) a certification that the entity, before 

17 engaging with any individual domestic violence 

18 victim, will disclose to such victim any manda19 tory duty of the entity to report instances of 

20 abuse and neglect (including instances of abuse 

21 and neglect of pets). 

22 (2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—In addition 

23 to the requirements of paragraph (1), each applica24 tion submitted by an eligible entity under such para25 graph shall— 

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1 (A) not include proposals for any activities 

2 that may compromise the safety of a domestic 

3 violence victim, including— 

4 (i) background checks of domestic vio5 lence victims; or 

6 (ii) clinical evaluations to determine 

7 the eligibility of such a victim for support 

8 services; 

9 (B) not include proposals that would re10 quire mandatory services for victims or that a 

11 victim obtain a protective order in order to re12 ceive proposed services; and 

13 (C) reflect the eligible entity’s under14 standing of the dynamics of domestic violence, 

15 dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. 

16 (3) RULES OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 

17 this subsection shall be construed to require— 

18 (A) domestic violence victims to participate 

19 in the criminal justice system in order to re20 ceive services; or 

21 (B) eligible entities receiving a grant under 

22 this section to breach client confidentiality. 

23 (c) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded under this sec24 tion may only be used for programs that provide— 

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1 (1) emergency and transitional pet shelter and 

2 housing assistance, including assistance with respect 

3 to any construction or operating expenses of newly 

4 developed or existing emergency and transitional pet 

5 shelter and housing (regardless of whether such 

6 shelter and housing is co-located at a victim service 

7 provider or within the community); 

8 (2) short-term pet shelter and housing assist9 ance, including assistance with respect to expenses 

10 incurred for the temporary shelter, housing, board11 ing, or fostering of the pets of domestic violence vic12 tims and other expenses that are incidental to secur13 ing the safety of such a pet during the sheltering, 

14 housing, or relocation of such victims; 

15 (3) support services designed to enable a do16 mestic violence victim who is fleeing a situation of 

17 domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or 

18 stalking to— 

19 (A) locate and secure safe housing with 

20 their pet or safe accommodation for their pet; 

21 or 

22 (B) provide the victim with pet-related 

23 services, such as pet transportation, pet care 

24 services, and other assistance; or 

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1 (4) for the training of relevant stakeholders 

2 on— 

3 (A) the link between domestic violence, 

4 dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and 

5 the abuse and neglect of pets; 

6 (B) the needs of domestic violence victims; 

7 (C) best practices for providing support 

8 services to such victims; 

9 (D) best practices for providing such vic10 tims with referrals to victims’ services; and 

11 (E) the importance of confidentiality. 

12 (d) GRANT CONDITIONS.—An eligible entity that re13 ceives a grant under this section shall, as a condition on 

14 such receipt, agree— 

15 (1) to be bound by the nondisclosure of con16 fidential information requirements of section 

17 40002(b)(2) of the Violence Against Women Act of 

18 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13925(b)(2)); and 

19 (2) that the entity shall not condition the re20 ceipt of support, housing, or other benefits provided 

21 pursuant to this section on the participation of do22 mestic violence victims in any or all of the support 

23 services offered to such victims through a program 

24 carried out by the entity using grant funds. 

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1 (e) DURATION OF ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO VIC2 TIMS.— 

3 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 

4 assistance provided with respect to a pet of a domes5 tic violence victim using grant funds awarded under 

6 this section shall be provided for a period of not 

7 more than 24 months. 

8 (2) EXTENSION.—An eligible entity that re9 ceives a grant under this section may extend the 24- 

10 month period referred to in paragraph (1) for a pe11 riod of not more than 6 months in the case of a do12 mestic violence victim who— 

13 (A) has made a good faith effort to acquire 

14 permanent housing for their pet during such 

15 24-month period; and 

16 (B) has been unable to acquire such per17 manent housing within such period. 

18 (f) REPORT TO THE SECRETARY.—Not later than 

19 one year after the date on which an eligible entity receives 

20 a grant under this section and each year thereafter, such 

21 entity shall submit to the Secretary of Agriculture a re22 port. Such report shall contain, with respect to assistance 

23 provided by such entity with respect to pets of domestic 

24 violence victims using grant funds received under this sec25 tion, information on— 

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1 (1) the number of pets provided such assist2 ance; and 

3 (2) the purpose, amount, type of, and duration 

4 of such assistance. 

5 (g) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 

6 (1) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 

7 November 1 of each even-numbered fiscal year, the 

8 Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Com9 mittee on Agriculture of the House of Representa10 tives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 

11 and Forestry of the Senate a report that contains a 

12 compilation of the information contained in the re13 port submitted under subsection (f). 

14 (2) AVAILABILITY OF REPORT.—The Secretary 

15 of Agriculture shall transmit a copy of the report 

16 submitted under paragraph (1) to— 

17 (A) the Office on Violence Against Women 

18 of the Department of Justice; 

19 (B) the Office of Community Planning and 

20 Development at the United States Department 

21 of Housing and Urban Development; and 

22 (C) the Administration for Children and 

23 Families at the United States Department of 

24 Health and Human Services. 

25 (h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

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

2 appropriated to carry out this section $3,000,000 for 

3 each of fiscal years 2015 through 2019. 

4 (2) LIMITATION.—Of the amount made avail5 able under paragraph (1) in any fiscal year, not 

6 more than 5 percent may be used for evaluation, 

7 monitoring, technical assistance, salaries, and ad8 ministrative expenses. 

9 (i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

10 (1) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM DEFINED.— 

11 The term ‘‘domestic violence victim’’ means a victim 

12 of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, 

13 or stalking. 

14 (2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti15 ty’’ means— 

16 (A) a State; 

17 (B) a general unit of local government; 

18 (C) an Indian tribe; or 

19 (D) any other organization that has a doc20 umented history of effective work concerning 

21 domestic violence, dating violence, sexual as22 sault, or stalking (as determined by the Sec23 retary), including— 

24 (i) a domestic violence and sexual as25 sault victim service provider; 

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1 (ii) a domestic violence and sexual as2 sault coalition; 

3 (iii) a community-based and culturally 

4 specific organization; 

5 (iv) any other nonprofit, nongovern6 mental organization; or 

7 (v) any organization that works di8 rectly with pets and collaborates with any 

9 organization referred to in clauses (i) 

10 through (iv), including— 

11 (I) an animal shelter; or 

12 (II) an animal welfare organiza13 tion. 

14 SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

15 It is the sense of Congress that States should encour16 age the inclusion of protections against violent or threat17 ening acts against the pet of the person in domestic vio18 lence protection orders. 

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