I
107TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 4091
To authorize the establishment of domestic violence court systems from
amounts available for grants to combat violence against women.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 9, 2002
Ms. SOLIS (for herself, Ms. LEE, Ms. BROWN of Florida, Mr. LANTOS, Mrs.
JONES of Ohio, Mr. CONYERS, Ms. WATSON of California, Mr. FROST,
Ms. KILPATRICK, Ms. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. UNDERWOOD, Mrs.
CAPPS, Mr. PALLONE, Mr. GEORGE
MILLER
of California, Mr.
HINOJOSA, Mr. GONZALEZ, Mr. PASTOR, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. STARK,
Mrs. MINK of Hawaii, Mrs. NAPOLITANO, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD,
Ms. DELAURO, Mrs. MEEK of Florida, Mr. BACA, Mr. SANDERS, Mr.
CUMMINGS, Mr. HONDA, Mr. KUCINICH, Mr. SERRANO, and Ms. WOOL-
SEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee
on the Judiciary
A BILL
To authorize the establishment of domestic violence court
systems from amounts available for grants to combat
violence against women.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Domestic Violence
Courts Assistance Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Nearly one-third of American women report
being physically or sexually abused by a husband or
boyfriend at some point in their lives.
(2) Family violence costs the nation between
$5,000,000,000 and $10,000,000,000 each year in
medical expenses, police and court costs, shelters
and foster care, sick leave, absenteeism, and non-
productivity.
(3) The Nation’s first specialized domestic vio-
lence court was established in Chicago in the early
1980s to centralize the prosecution of domestic vio-
lence offenders.
(4) There are presently more than 150 domestic
violence courts in at least 23 States nationwide.
(5) Specialized domestic violence courts in sev-
eral communities have resulted in cutting the proc-
essing time of domestic violence, reducing a backlog
of existing domestic violence cases and raising the
conviction rate.
(6) Specialized domestic violence courts allow
judges, prosecutors and defense attorneys to focus
on the intricacies of domestic violence cases, espe-
cially with regards to repeat offenders.
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COURT
SYSTEMS FROM AMOUNTS AVAILABLE FOR
GRANTS TO COMBAT VIOLENCE AGAINST
WOMEN.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part T of the Omnibus Crime
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (relating to grants
to combat violent crimes against women) is amended as
follows:
(1) PURPOSES
FOR
WHICH
GRANTS
MAY
BE
USED.—Section 2001(b) of that Act (42 U.S.C.
3796gg(b)) is amended—
(A) in paragraph (10), by striking ‘‘and’’
at the end;
(B) in paragraph (11), by striking the pe-
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and
(C) by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
‘‘(12) providing the resources to establish and
maintain a court system dedicated to the adjudica-
tion of domestic violence cases, including providing
such resources as—
‘‘(A) prosecutors and court personnel;
‘‘(B) technical assistance and counseling;
‘‘(C) training of attorneys, judges, and
court personnel (which should be carried out in
consultation with local domestic violence advo-
cates and State domestic violence coalitions);
‘‘(D) technological improvements and data
collection; and
‘‘(E) improvement of court facilities.’’.
(2) 
QUALIFICATION
FOR
FUNDS.—Section
2002(c)(3)(C) of that Act (42 U.S.C. 3796gg–
1(c)(3)(C)) is amended by inserting after ‘‘including
juvenile courts’’ the following: ‘‘and specialized do-
mestic violence courts’’.
(b) ATTORNEY GENERAL REPORT.—Not later than
thirty days after the expiration of the third fiscal year be-
ginning after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Attorney General shall submit to Congress a report on the
implementation and effectiveness of the amendments made
by this Act, including the effectiveness of grants made
under such amendments in reducing the rates of domestic
violence and shortening the period of judicial review in do-
mestic violence cases.
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