I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1620 
To reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 8, 2021 
Ms. JACKSON LEE (for herself, Mr. NADLER, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. HOYER, 
Ms. KAPTUR, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of 
New York, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. NORTON, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. 
BASS, Mrs. BEATTY, Ms. SPEIER, Mrs. DINGELL, Ms. WASSERMAN 
SCHULTZ, Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. COSTA, Mr. TAKANO, Ms. TITUS, Ms. 
DELBENE, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. WILSON of Florida, 
Mrs. DEMINGS, Ms. BROWNLEY, Ms. ROSS, Mr. GOMEZ, Mr. 
MALINOWSKI, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. KILMER, Mr. HORSFORD, Ms. WILD, 
Mr. PHILLIPS, Ms. JACOBS of California, Mr. MRVAN, Ms. WILLIAMS of 
Georgia, Ms. MENG, Mr. BROWN, Mr. KILDEE, Mrs. LURIA, Ms. 
BARRAGA´N, Mrs. LAWRENCE, Mr. COOPER, Mr. THOMPSON of California, 
Mr. O’HALLERAN, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Mr. 
ESPAILLAT, Ms. KUSTER, Mr. VARGAS, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. 
PAYNE, Ms. DEAN, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. WELCH, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. 
COHEN, Mr. TORRES of New York, Ms. BONAMICI, Ms. CLARKE of New 
York, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. TONKO, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. CICILLINE, 
Mrs. HAYES, Ms. STRICKLAND, Mr. DESAULNIER, Ms. SCANLON, Mr. 
SWALWELL, Mr. SCHNEIDER, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. VELA, 
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Ms. SPANBERGER, Mr. SMITH of Wash-
ington, Ms. HOULAHAN, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE 
of Pennsylvania, Mr. SOTO, Mrs. TRAHAN, Mr. EVANS, Ms. SEWELL, Mr. 
MOULTON, Mr. RYAN, Mr. JONES, Mr. CARSON, Mr. DEUTCH, Mrs. 
BUSTOS, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of Georgia, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. 
KEATING, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. KIM of New Jersey, Mr. NEGUSE, Ms. 
STEVENS, Mr. MEEKS, Mr. CASTEN, Mrs. FLETCHER, Ms. ESCOBAR, 
Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Mr. MCEACHIN, Mr. CROW, Mr. YARMUTH, Mr. 
GREEN of Texas, Ms. MANNING, Mr. MCNERNEY, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. 
LOWENTHAL, Mr. ALLRED, Ms. LOIS FRANKEL of Florida, Mr. LAWSON 
of Florida, Ms. JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. 
KAHELE, Mr. GRIJALVA, Mr. JEFFRIES, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. MICHAEL 
F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, 
Mr. VICENTE GONZALEZ of Texas, Ms. DAVIDS of Kansas, Mr. RUP-
PERSBERGER, Mr. BEYER, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. NORCROSS, Ms. OMAR, Ms. 
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BUSH, Mr. SCHRADER, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Ms. CASTOR of Florida, Mr. 
SIRES, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. STANTON, Ms. NEWMAN, Mrs. TORRES of 
California, Mr. PASCRELL, Ms. SHERRILL, Mr. GOTTHEIMER, Mr. SEAN 
PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. LARSON of Connecticut, Mr. 
SABLAN, Mr. KHANNA, Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ, Ms. PLASKETT, Mr. 
VEASEY, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. SCOTT of 
Virginia, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. POCAN, Mr. CORREA, Mr. 
LANGEVIN, Mr. AUCHINCLOSS, Mr. GALLEGO, and Mr. PERLMUTTER) in-
troduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Ways 
and Means, Education and Labor, Energy and Commerce, Veterans’ Af-
fairs, and Natural Resources, 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 reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, 
and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Universal definitions and grant conditions. 
Sec. 3. Agency and Department Coordination. 
Sec. 4. Effective date. 
Sec. 5. Availability of funds. 
TITLE I—ENHANCING LEGAL TOOLS TO COMBAT DOMESTIC 
VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING 
Sec. 101. Stop grants. 
Sec. 102. Grants to encourage improvements and alternatives to the criminal 
justice response. 
Sec. 103. Legal assistance for victims. 
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Sec. 104. Grants to support families in the justice system. 
Sec. 105. Outreach and services to underserved populations grants. 
Sec. 106. Criminal provisions. 
Sec. 107. Rape survivor child custody. 
Sec. 108. Enhancing culturally specific services for victims of domestic violence, 
dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. 
Sec. 109. Grants for lethality assessment programs. 
TITLE II—IMPROVING SERVICES FOR VICTIMS 
Sec. 201. Sexual assault services program. 
Sec. 202. Sexual Assault Services Program. 
Sec. 203. Rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and 
child abuse enforcement assistance program. 
Sec. 204. Grants fo training and services to end violence against people with 
disabilities and Deaf people. 
Sec. 205. Training and services to end abuse in later life. 
Sec. 206. Demonstration program on trauma-informed training for law enforce-
ment. 
TITLE III—SERVICES, PROTECTION, AND JUSTICE FOR YOUNG 
VICTIMS 
Sec. 301. Rape prevention and education grant. 
Sec. 302. Creating hope through outreach, options, services, and education 
(CHOOSE) for children and youth. 
Sec. 303. Grants to combat violent crimes on campuses. 
TITLE IV—VIOLENCE REDUCTION PRACTICES 
Sec. 401. Study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 
Sec. 402. Saving Money and Reducing Tragedies (SMART) through Prevention 
grants. 
TITLE V—STRENGTHENING THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS 
RESPONSE 
Sec. 501. Grants to strengthen the healthcare systems response to domestic vio-
lence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. 
TITLE VI—SAFE HOMES FOR VICTIMS 
Sec. 601. Housing protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, 
sexual assault, and stalking. 
Sec. 602. Ensuring compliance and implementation; prohibiting retaliation 
against victims. 
Sec. 603. Protecting the right to report crime from one’s home. 
Sec. 604. Transitional housing assistance grants for victims of domestic vio-
lence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. 
Sec. 605. Addressing the housing needs of victims of domestic violence, dating 
violence, sexual assault, and stalking. 
Sec. 606. United States Housing Act of 1937 amendments. 
TITLE VII—ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR VICTIMS 
Sec. 701. Findings. 
Sec. 702. National Resource Center on workplace responses to assist victims of 
domestic and sexual violence. 
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Sec. 703. Entitlement to unemployment compensation for victims of sexual and 
other harassment and survivors of domestic violence, sexual as-
sault, or stalking. 
Sec. 704. Study and reports on barriers to survivors’ economic security access. 
Sec. 705. GAO Study. 
Sec. 706. Education and information programs for survivors. 
Sec. 707. Severability. 
TITLE VIII—HOMICIDE REDUCTION INITIATIVES 
Sec. 801. Prohibiting persons convicted of misdemeanor crimes against dating 
partners and persons subject to protection orders. 
Sec. 802. Prohibiting stalkers and individuals subject to court order from pos-
sessing a firearm. 
TITLE IX—SAFETY FOR INDIAN WOMEN 
Sec. 901. Findings and purposes. 
Sec. 902. Authorizing funding for the Tribal access program. 
Sec. 903. Tribal jurisdiction over covered crimes of domestic violence, dating vi-
olence, obstruction of justice, sexual violence, sex trafficking, 
stalking, and assault of a law enforcement officer or correc-
tions officer. 
Sec. 904. Annual reporting requirements. 
Sec. 905. Report on the response of law enforcement agencies to reports of 
missing or murdered Indians. 
TITLE X—OFFICE ON VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN 
Sec. 1001. Establishment of Office on Violence Against Women. 
Sec. 1002. Office on Violence Against Women a Deputy Director for Culturally 
Specific Communities. 
TITLE XI—IMPROVING CONDITIONS FOR WOMEN IN FEDERAL 
CUSTODY 
Sec. 1101. Improving the treatment of primary caretaker parents and other in-
dividuals in federal prisons. 
Sec. 1102. Public health and safety of women. 
Sec. 1103. Research and report on women in federal incarceration. 
Sec. 1104. Reentry planning and services for incarcerated women. 
TITLE XII—LAW ENFORCEMENT TOOLS TO ENHANCE PUBLIC 
SAFETY 
Sec. 1201. Notification to law enforcement agencies of prohibited purchase or 
attempted purchase of a firearm. 
Sec. 1202. Reporting of background check denials to state, local, and Tribal au-
thorities. 
Sec. 1203. Special assistant U.S. attorneys and cross-deputized attorneys. 
TITLE XIII—CLOSING THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CONSENT 
LOOPHOLE 
Sec. 1301. Short title. 
Sec. 1302. Prohibition on engaging in sexual acts while acting under color of 
law. 
Sec. 1303. Incentives for States. 
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Sec. 1304. Reports to Congress. 
Sec. 1305. Definition. 
TITLE XIV—OTHER MATTERS 
Sec. 1401. National stalker and domestic violence reduction. 
Sec. 1402. Federal victim assistants reauthorization. 
Sec. 1403. Child abuse training programs for judicial personnel and practi-
tioners reauthorization. 
Sec. 1404. Sex offender management. 
Sec. 1405. Court-appointed special advocate program. 
Sec. 1406. Sexual assault forensic exam program grants. 
Sec. 1407. Review on link between substance use and victims of domestic vio-
lence dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. 
Sec. 1408. Interagency working group to study Federal efforts to collect data 
on sexual violence. 
Sec. 1409. National Domestic Violence Hotline. 
Sec. 1410. Deputy Director on Culturally Specific Communities within the Of-
fice of Justice Programs. 
TITLE XV—CYBERCRIME ENFORCEMENT 
Sec. 1501. Local law enforcement grants for enforcement of cybercrimes. 
Sec. 1502. National Resource Center Grant. 
Sec. 1503. National strategy, classification, and reporting on cybercrime. 
TITLE XVI—KEEPING CHILDREN SAFE FROM FAMILY VIOLENCE 
Sec. 1601. Short title. 
Sec. 1602. Findings. 
Sec. 1603. Purposes. 
Sec. 1604. Definition of covered formula grant. 
Sec. 1605. Increased funding for formula grants authorized. 
Sec. 1606. Application. 
Sec. 1607. Rule of construction. 
Sec. 1608. Grant term. 
Sec. 1609. Uses of funds. 
Sec. 1610. Authorization of appropriations. 
SEC. 2. UNIVERSAL DEFINITIONS AND GRANT CONDITIONS. 
Section 40002 of the Violence Against Women Act 
of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12291) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘In this title’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘In this title, and for the purpose of all 
grants authorized under this title’’; 
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(B) by striking paragraph (5) and insert-
ing the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(5) COURT-BASED AND COURT-RELATED PER-
SONNEL.—The terms ‘court-based personnel’ and 
‘court-related personnel’ mean persons working in 
the court, whether paid or volunteer, including— 
‘‘(A) clerks, special masters, domestic rela-
tions officers, administrators, mediators, cus-
tody evaluators, guardians ad litem, lawyers, 
negotiators, probation, parole, interpreters, vic-
tim assistants, victim advocates, and judicial, 
administrative, or any other professionals or 
personnel similarly involved in the legal process; 
‘‘(B) court security personnel; 
‘‘(C) personnel working in related, supple-
mentary offices or programs (such as child sup-
port enforcement); and 
‘‘(D) any other court-based or community- 
based personnel having responsibilities or au-
thority to address domestic violence, dating vio-
lence, sexual assault, or stalking in the court 
system.’’; 
(C) by striking paragraph (8) and insert-
ing the following new paragraph: 
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‘‘(8) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.—The term ‘domes-
tic violence’ means a pattern of behavior involving 
the use or attempted use of physical, sexual, verbal, 
psychological, economic, or technological abuse or 
any other coercive behavior committed, enabled, or 
solicited to gain or maintain power and control over 
a victim, by a person who— 
‘‘(A) is a current or former spouse or dat-
ing partner of the victim, or other person simi-
larly situated to a spouse of the victim; 
‘‘(B) 
is 
cohabitating 
with 
or 
has 
cohabitated with the victim as a spouse or dat-
ing partner; 
‘‘(C) shares a child in common with the 
victim; 
‘‘(D) is an adult family member of, or paid 
or nonpaid caregiver in an ongoing relationship 
of trust with, a victim aged 50 or older or an 
adult victim with disabilities; or 
‘‘(E) commits acts against a youth or adult 
victim who is protected from those acts under 
the family or domestic violence laws of the ju-
risdiction.’’; 
(D) in paragraph (9)— 
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(i) by striking ‘‘consideration of’’ and 
inserting ‘‘consideration of one or more of 
the following factors’’; 
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘; and’’ and inserting a semicolon; 
(iii) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; 
and 
(iv) by inserting the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) the cultural context of the relation-
ship.’’; 
(E) in the matter following paragraph (9), 
by inserting the following: 
‘‘Sexual contact is not a necessary component of 
such a relationship.’’; 
(F) in paragraph (10)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘person—’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘dating partner.’’; and 
(ii) by striking subparagraphs (A) and 
(B). 
(G) by striking paragraphs (11) and (12); 
(H) by striking paragraph (19) and insert-
ing the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(19) LEGAL ASSISTANCE.— 
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‘‘(A) The term ‘legal assistance’ means as-
sistance provided by or under the direct super-
vision of a person described in subparagraph 
(B) to a person described in subparagraph (C) 
relating to a matter described in subparagraph 
(D). 
‘‘(B) A person described in this subpara-
graph is— 
‘‘(i) a licensed attorney; 
‘‘(ii) in the case of an immigration 
proceeding, a Board of Immigration Ap-
peals accredited representative; or 
‘‘(iii) any person who functions as an 
attorney or lay advocate in a Tribal court; 
and 
‘‘(C) A person described in this subpara-
graph is an adult or youth victim of domestic 
violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or 
stalking. 
‘‘(D) A matter described in this subpara-
graph is a matter related to— 
‘‘(i) divorce, parental rights, child 
support, Tribal, territorial, immigration, 
employment, administrative agency, hous-
ing, campus, education, healthcare, pri-
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vacy, contract, consumer, civil rights, pro-
tection or order or other injunctive pro-
ceedings, related enforcement proceedings, 
and other similar matters; 
‘‘(ii) criminal justice investigations, 
prosecutions and post-conviction matters 
(including sentencing, parole, probation, 
and vacatur or expungement) that impact 
the victim’s safety, privacy, or other inter-
ests as a victim; or 
‘‘(iii) alternative dispute resolution, 
restorative practices, or other processes in-
tended to promote victim safety, privacy, 
and autonomy, and offender accountability, 
regardless of court involvement. 
For purposes of this paragraph, intake or refer-
ral, by itself, does not constitute legal assist-
ance.’’; 
(I) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(46) ABUSE IN LATER LIFE.—The term ‘abuse 
in later life’— 
‘‘(A) means— 
‘‘(i) neglect, abandonment, economic 
abuse, or willful harm of an adult over the 
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age of 50 by an individuals in an ongoing 
relationship of trust with the victim; or 
‘‘(ii) domestic violence, dating vio-
lence, sexual assault, or stalking of an 
adult over the age of 50 by any individual; 
and 
‘‘(B) does not include self-neglect. 
‘‘(47) RESTORATIVE PRACTICE.—The term ‘re-
storative practice’ means a process, whether court- 
referred or community-based, that— 
‘‘(A) involves, on a voluntary basis, and to 
the extent possible, those who have committed 
a specific offense and those who have been 
harmed as a result of the offense, as well as af-
fected community; 
‘‘(B) has the goal of collectively seeking ac-
countability from the accused, and developing a 
process whereby the accused will take responsi-
bility for his or her actions, and a plan for pro-
viding relief to those harmed, through allocu-
tion, restitution, community service or other 
processes upon which the victim, the accused, 
the community, and the court (if court-referred) 
can agree; 
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‘‘(C) is conducted in a framework that pro-
tects victim safety and supports victim auton-
omy; and 
‘‘(D) provides that information disclosed 
during such process may not be used for any 
other law enforcement purpose, including im-
peachment or prosecution, without the express 
permission of all participants. 
‘‘(48) DIGITAL
SERVICES.—The term ‘digital 
services’ means services, resources, information, sup-
port or referrals provided through electronic commu-
nications platforms and media, whether via mobile 
device technology, video technology, or computer 
technology, including utilizing the internet, as well 
as any other emerging communications technologies 
that are appropriate for the purposes of providing 
services, resources, information, support, or referrals 
for the benefit of victims of domestic violence, dating 
violence, sexual assault, or stalking. 
‘‘(42) ECONOMIC ABUSE.—The term ‘economic 
abuse’, in the context of domestic violence, dating vi-
olence, and abuse in later life, means behavior that 
is coercive, deceptive, or unreasonably controls or re-
strains a person’s ability to acquire, use, or maintain 
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