104 
experienced domestic violence, and more than 50 
percent of such women cite domestic violence as the 
direct cause for homelessness. Survivors are deprived 
of their autonomy, liberty, and security, and face 
tremendous threats to their health and safety. 
(11) The Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention report that survivors of severe intimate part-
ner violence lose nearly 8 million days of paid work, 
which is the equivalent of more than 32,000 full- 
time jobs and almost 5,600,000 days of household 
productivity each year. Therefore, women dispropor-
tionately need time off to care for their health or to 
find safety solutions, such as obtaining a restraining 
order or finding housing, to avoid or prevent further 
violence. 
(12) Annual costs of intimate partner violence 
are estimated to be more than $8,300,000,000. Ac-
cording to the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention, the costs of intimate partner violence 
against women in 1995 exceeded an estimated 
$5,800,000,000. 
These 
costs 
included 
nearly 
$4,100,000,000 in the direct costs of medical and 
mental health care and nearly $1,800,000,000 in the 
indirect costs of lost productivity. These statistics 
are generally considered to be underestimated be-
105 
cause the costs associated with the criminal justice 
system are not included. 
(13) Fifty-five percent of senior executives re-
cently surveyed said domestic violence has a harmful 
effect on their company’s productivity, and more 
than 70 percent said domestic violence negatively af-
fects attendance. Seventy-eight percent of human re-
sources professionals consider partner violence a 
workplace issue. However, more than 70 percent of 
United States workplaces have no formal program or 
policy that addresses workplace violence, let alone 
domestic violence. In fact, only four percent of em-
ployers provided training on domestic violence. 
(14) Studies indicate that one of the best pre-
dictors of whether a survivor will be able to stay 
away from his or her abuser is the degree of his or 
her economic independence. However, domestic vio-
lence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking 
often negatively impact a survivor’s ability to main-
tain employment. 
(15) Abusers frequently seek to exert financial 
control over their partners by actively interfering 
with their ability to work, including preventing their 
partners from going to work, harassing their part-
ners at work, limiting their partners’ access to cash
106 
or transportation, and sabotaging their partners’ 
child care arrangements. 
(16) Economic abuse refers to behaviors that 
control an intimate partner’s ability to acquire, use, 
and maintain access to, money, credit, ownership of 
assets, or access to governmental or private financial 
benefits, including defaulting on joint obligations 
(such as school loans, credit card debt, mortgages, 
or rent). Other forms of such abuse may include pre-
venting someone from attending school, threatening 
to or actually terminating employment, controlling 
or withholding access to cash, checking, or credit ac-
counts, and attempting to damage or sabotage the 
creditworthiness of an intimate partner, including 
forcing an intimate partner to write bad checks, 
forcing an intimate partner to default on payments 
related to household needs, such as housing, or forc-
ing an intimate partner into bankruptcy. 
(17) The Patient Protection and Affordable 
Care Act (Public Law 111–148), and the amend-
ments made by such Act, ensures that most health 
plans must cover preventive services, including 
screening and counseling for domestic violence, at no 
additional cost. In addition, it prohibits insurance
107 
companies from discriminating against patients for 
preexisting conditions, like domestic violence. 
(18) Yet, more can be done to help survivors. 
Federal law in effect on the day before the date of 
enactment of this Act does not explicitly— 
(A) authorize survivors of domestic vio-
lence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalk-
ing to take leave from work to seek legal assist-
ance and redress, counseling, or assistance with 
safety planning activities; 
(B) address the eligibility of survivors of 
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual as-
sault, or stalking for unemployment compensa-
tion; 
(C) provide job protection to survivors of 
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual as-
sault, or stalking; 
(D) prohibit insurers and employers who 
self-insure employee benefits from discrimi-
nating against survivors of domestic violence, 
dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and 
those who help them in determining eligibility, 
rates charged, and standards for payment of 
claims; or
108 
(E) prohibit insurers from disclosing infor-
mation about abuse and the location of the sur-
vivors through insurance databases and other 
means. 
(19) This Act aims to empower survivors of do-
mestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or 
stalking to be free from violence, hardship, and con-
trol, which restrains basic human rights to freedom 
and safety in the United States. 
SEC. 702. NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER ON WORKPLACE 
RESPONSES TO ASSIST VICTIMS OF DOMES-
TIC AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE. 
Section 41501 of the Violent Crime Control and Law 
Enforcement Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12501) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘and sexual harassment’’ 
after ‘‘domestic and sexual violence’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘employers and labor orga-
nizations’’ and inserting ‘‘employers, labor or-
ganizations, and victim service providers’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)(3), by striking ‘‘and stalk-
ing’’ and inserting ‘‘stalking, and sexual harass-
ment’’;
109 
(3) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting before the 
period at the end ‘‘or sexual harassment’’; 
(4) in subsection (c)(2)(A), by inserting ‘‘or 
sexual harassment’’ after ‘‘sexual violence’’; and 
(5) in subsection (e), by striking ‘‘$1,000,000 
for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018’’ and in-
serting ‘‘$2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 
through 2024’’. 
SEC. 703. ENTITLEMENT TO UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSA-
TION FOR VICTIMS OF SEXUAL AND OTHER 
HARASSMENT AND SURVIVORS OF DOMESTIC 
VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR STALKING. 
(a) UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION.— 
(1) Section 3304(a) of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986 is amended by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end of paragraph (18), by redesignating paragraph 
(19) as paragraph (20), and by inserting after para-
graph (18) the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(19) no person may be denied compensation 
under such State law solely on the basis of the indi-
vidual having a voluntary separation from work if 
such separation is attributable to such individual 
being a victim of sexual or other harassment or a 
survivor of domestic violence, sexual assault, or 
stalking; and’’.
110 
(2) Section 3304 of the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subsection: 
‘‘(g) SEXUAL OR OTHER HARASSMENT; ETC.— 
‘‘(1) DOCUMENTATION.—For purposes of sub-
section (a)(19), a voluntary separation of an indi-
vidual shall be considered to be attributable to such 
individual being a survivor or victim of sexual or 
other harassment or a survivor of domestic violence, 
sexual assault, or stalking if such individual submits 
such evidence as the State deems sufficient. 
‘‘(2) SUFFICIENT DOCUMENTATION.—For pur-
poses of paragraph (1), a State shall deem suffi-
cient, at a minimum— 
‘‘(A) evidence of such harassment, violence, 
assault, or stalking in the form of— 
‘‘(i) a sworn statement and a form of 
identification; 
‘‘(ii) a police or court record; or 
‘‘(iii) documentation from a victim 
service provider, an attorney, a police offi-
cer, a medical professional, a social worker, 
an antiviolence counselor, a member of the 
clergy, or another professional; and
111 
‘‘(B) an attestation that such voluntary 
separation is attributable to such harassment, 
violence, assault, or stalking. 
‘‘(3) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sec-
tion— 
‘‘(A) The terms ‘domestic violence’, ‘sexual 
assault’, ‘stalking’, ‘victim of sexual or other 
harassment’, and ‘survivor of domestic violence, 
sexual assault, or stalking’ have the meanings 
given such terms under State law, regulation, 
or policy. 
‘‘(B) The term ‘victim service provider’ has 
the meaning given such term in section 40002 
of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.’’. 
(b) UNEMPLOYMENT COMPENSATION PERSONNEL 
TRAINING.—Section 303(a) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 503(a)) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating paragraphs (4) through 
(12) as paragraphs (5) through (13), respectively; 
and 
(2) by inserting after paragraph (3) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: 
‘‘(4)(A) Such methods of administration as will 
ensure that—
112 
‘‘(i) applicants for unemployment com-
pensation and individuals inquiring about such 
compensation are notified of the provisions of 
section 3304(a)(19) of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986; and 
‘‘(ii) claims reviewers and hearing per-
sonnel are trained in— 
‘‘(I) the nature and dynamics of sex-
ual and other harassment, domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or stalking; and 
‘‘(II) methods of ascertaining and 
keeping confidential information about pos-
sible experiences of sexual and other har-
assment, domestic violence, sexual assault, 
or stalking to ensure that— 
‘‘(aa) requests for unemployment 
compensation based on separations 
stemming from sexual and other har-
assment, domestic violence, sexual as-
sault, or stalking are identified and 
adjudicated; and 
‘‘(bb) confidentiality is provided 
for the individual’s claim and sub-
mitted evidence. 
‘‘(B) For purposes of this paragraph—
113 
‘‘(i) the terms ‘domestic violence’, ‘sexual 
assault’, and ‘stalking’ have the meanings given 
such terms in section 40002 of the Violence 
Against Women Act of 1994; 
‘‘(ii) the term ‘sexual and other harass-
ment’ has the meaning given such term under 
State law, regulation, or policy; and 
‘‘(iii) the term ‘survivor of domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or stalking’ means— 
‘‘(I) a person who has experienced or 
is experiencing domestic violence, sexual 
assault, or stalking; and 
‘‘(II) a person whose family or house-
hold member has experienced or is experi-
encing domestic violence, sexual assault, or 
stalking.’’. 
(c) TANF PERSONNEL TRAINING.—Section 402(a) 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 602(a)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(8) CERTIFICATION
THAT
THE
STATE
WILL 
PROVIDE INFORMATION TO SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL 
AND
OTHER
HARASSMENT, DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE, 
SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR STALKING.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A certification by the 
chief executive officer of the State that the
114 
State has established and is enforcing stand-
ards and procedures to— 
‘‘(i) ensure that applicants for assist-
ance under the State program funded 
under this part and individuals inquiring 
about such assistance are adequately noti-
fied of— 
‘‘(I) the provisions of section 
3304(a)(19) of the Internal Revenue 
Code of 1986; and 
‘‘(II) assistance made available 
by the State to survivors of sexual 
and other harassment, domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or stalking; 
‘‘(ii) ensure that case workers and 
other agency personnel responsible for ad-
ministering the State program funded 
under this part are adequately trained in— 
‘‘(I) the nature and dynamics of 
sexual and other harassment, domes-
tic violence, sexual assault, or stalk-
ing; 
‘‘(II) State standards and proce-
dures relating to the prevention of, 
and assistance for individuals who are
115 
survivors of sexual and other harass-
ment, domestic violence, sexual as-
sault, or stalking; and 
‘‘(III) methods of ascertaining 
and keeping confidential information 
about possible experiences of sexual 
and other harassment, domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or stalking; 
‘‘(iii) ensure that, if a State has elect-
ed to establish and enforce standards and 
procedures regarding the screening for, 
and identification of, domestic violence 
pursuant to paragraph (7)— 
‘‘(I) applicants for assistance 
under the State program funded 
under this part and individuals inquir-
ing about such assistance are ade-
quately notified of options available 
under such standards and procedures; 
and 
‘‘(II) case workers and other 
agency personnel responsible for ad-
ministering the State program funded 
under this part are provided with ade-
quate training regarding such stand-
116 
ards and procedures and options 
available under such standards and 
procedures; and 
‘‘(iv) ensure that the training required 
under subparagraphs (B) and, if applica-
ble, (C)(ii) is provided through a training 
program operated by an eligible entity. 
‘‘(B) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this 
paragraph— 
‘‘(i) the terms ‘domestic violence’, 
‘sexual assault’, and ‘stalking’ have the 
meanings given such terms in section 
40002 of the Violence Against Women Act 
of 1994; 
‘‘(ii) the term ‘sexual and other har-
assment’ has the meaning given such term 
under State law, regulation, or policy; and 
‘‘(iii) the term ‘survivor of domestic 
violence, 
sexual 
assault, 
or 
stalking’ 
means— 
‘‘(I) a person who has experi-
enced or is experiencing domestic vio-
lence, sexual assault, or stalking; and 
‘‘(II) a person whose family or 
household member has experienced or
117 
is experiencing domestic violence, sex-
ual assault, or stalking.’’. 
(d) SEXUAL AND OTHER HARASSMENT, DOMESTIC 
VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR STALKING TRAINING 
GRANT PROGRAM.— 
(1) GRANTS
AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of 
Labor (in this subsection referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) is authorized to award— 
(A) a grant to a national victim service 
provider in order for such organization to— 
(i) develop and disseminate a model 
training program (and related materials) 
for the training required under section 
303(a)(4)(B) of the Social Security Act, as 
added by subsection (b), and under sub-
paragraph (B) and, if applicable, subpara-
graph (C)(ii) of section 402(a)(8) of such 
Act, as added by subsection (c); and 
(ii) provide technical assistance with 
respect to such model training program, 
including technical assistance to the tem-
porary assistance for needy families pro-
gram and unemployment compensation 
personnel; and
118 
(B) grants to State, tribal, or local agen-
cies in order for such agencies to contract with 
eligible entities to provide State, tribal, or local 
caseworkers and other State, tribal, or local 
agency personnel responsible for administering 
the temporary assistance for needy families pro-
gram established under part A of title IV of the 
Social Security Act in a State or Indian res-
ervation with the training required under sub-
paragraph (B) and, if applicable, subparagraph 
(C)(ii) of such section 402(a)(8). 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY DEFINED.—For purposes 
of paragraph (1)(B), the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ 
means an entity— 
(A) that is— 
(i) a State or tribal domestic violence 
coalition or sexual assault coalition; 
(ii) a State or local victim service pro-
vider with recognized expertise in the dy-
namics of domestic violence, sexual assault, 
or stalking whose primary mission is to 
provide services to survivors of domestic vi-
olence, sexual assault, or stalking, includ-
ing a rape crisis center or domestic vio-
lence program; or
119 
(iii) 
an 
organization 
with 
dem-
onstrated expertise in State or county wel-
fare laws and implementation of such laws 
and experience with disseminating informa-
tion on such laws and implementation, but 
only if such organization will provide the 
required training in partnership with an 
entity described in clause (i) or (ii); and 
(B) that— 
(i) has demonstrated expertise in the 
dynamics of both domestic violence and 
sexual assault, such as a joint domestic vi-
olence and sexual assault coalition; or 
(ii) will provide the required training 
in partnership with an entity described in 
clause (i) or (ii) of subparagraph (A) in 
order to comply with the dual domestic vio-
lence and sexual assault expertise require-
ment under clause (i). 
(3) APPLICATION.—An entity seeking a grant 
under this subsection shall submit an application to 
the Secretary at such time, in such form and man-
ner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary specifies. 
(4) REPORTS.—
120 
(A) REPORTS
TO
CONGRESS.—Not later 
than a year after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress a report on the grant 
program established under this subsection. 
(B) REPORTS
AVAILABLE
TO
PUBLIC.— 
The Secretary shall establish procedures for the 
dissemination to the public of each report sub-
mitted under subparagraph (A). Such proce-
dures shall include the use of the internet to 
disseminate such reports. 
(5) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to 
be appropriated— 
(i) $1,000,000 for fiscal year 2020 to 
carry out the provisions of paragraph 
(1)(A); and 
(ii) $12,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2020 through 2024 to carry out the 
provisions of paragraph (1)(B). 
(B) THREE-YEAR AVAILABILITY OF GRANT 
FUNDS.—Each recipient of a grant under this 
subsection shall return to the Secretary any un-
used portion of such grant not later than 3 
years after the date the grant was awarded, to-
121 
gether with any earnings on such unused por-
tion. 
(C) AMOUNTS RETURNED.—Any amounts 
returned pursuant to subparagraph (B) shall be 
available without further appropriation to the 
Secretary for the purpose of carrying out the 
provisions of paragraph (1)(B). 
(e) EFFECT ON EXISTING LAWS, ETC.— 
(1) MORE
PROTECTIVE
LAWS, AGREEMENTS, 
PROGRAMS, AND PLANS.—Nothing in this title shall 
be construed to supersede any provision of any Fed-
eral, State, or local law, collective bargaining agree-
ment, or employment benefits program or plan that 
provides greater unemployment insurance benefits 
for survivors of sexual and other harassment, domes-
tic violence, sexual assault, or stalking than the 
rights established under this title. 
(2) LESS
PROTECTIVE
LAWS, AGREEMENTS, 
PROGRAMS, AND
PLANS.—Any law, collective bar-
gaining agreement, or employment benefits program 
or plan of a State or unit of local government is pre-
empted to the extent that such law, agreement, or 
program or plan would impair the exercise of any 
right established under this title or the amendments 
made by this title.
122 
(f) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) UNEMPLOYMENT AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B) and paragraph (2), the 
amendments made by this section shall apply in 
the case of compensation paid for weeks begin-
ning on or after the expiration of the 180-day 
period beginning on the date of enactment of 
this Act. 
(B) EXTENSION OF EFFECTIVE DATE FOR 
STATE LAW AMENDMENT.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided 
in paragraph (2), in a case in which the 
Secretary of Labor identifies a State as re-
quiring a change to its statutes, regula-
tions, or policies in order to comply with 
the amendments made by this section, such 
amendments shall apply in the case of 
compensation paid for weeks beginning 
after the earlier of— 
(I) the date the State changes its 
statutes, regulations, or policies in 
order to comply with such amend-
ments; or
123 
(II) the end of the first session of 
the State legislature which begins 
after the date of enactment of this 
Act or which began prior to such date 
and remained in session for at least 
25 calendar days after such date, ex-
cept that in no case shall such amend-
ments apply before the date that is 
180 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
(ii) SESSION DEFINED.—In this sub-
paragraph, the term ‘‘session’’ means a 
regular, special, budget, or other session of 
a State legislature. 
(2) TANF AMENDMENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in 
subparagraph (B), the amendment made by 
subsection (c) shall take effect on the date of 
enactment of this Act. 
(B) EXTENSION OF EFFECTIVE DATE FOR 
STATE
LAW
AMENDMENT.—In the case of a 
State plan under part A of title IV of the Social 
Security Act which the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services determines requires State ac-
tion (including legislation, regulation, or other
124 
administrative action) in order for the plan to 
meet the additional requirements imposed by 
the amendment made by subsection (c), the 
State plan shall not be regarded as failing to 
comply with the requirements of such amend-
ment on the basis of its failure to meet these 
additional requirements before the first day of 
the first calendar quarter beginning after the 
close of the first regular session of the State 
legislature that begins after the date of enact-
ment of this Act. For purposes of the previous 
sentence, in the case of a State that has a 2- 
year legislative session, each year of the session 
is considered to be a separate regular session of 
the State legislature. 
(g) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the terms ‘‘do-
mestic violence’’, ‘‘sexual assault’’, ‘‘stalking’’, ‘‘survivor 
of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking’’, and ‘‘vic-
tim service provider’’ have the meanings given such terms 
in section 3304(g) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. 
SEC. 704. STUDY AND REPORTS ON BARRIERS TO SUR-
VIVORS’ ECONOMIC SECURITY ACCESS. 
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall 
conduct a study on the barriers that survivors of domestic
125 
violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking 
throughout the United States experience in maintaining 
economic security as a result of issues related to domestic 
violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. 
(b) REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this title, and every 5 years thereafter, 
the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consulta-
tion with the Secretary of Labor, shall submit a report 
to Congress on the study conducted under subsection (a). 
(c) CONTENTS.—The study and reports under this 
section shall include— 
(1) identification of geographic areas in which 
State laws, regulations, and practices have a strong 
impact on the ability of survivors of domestic vio-
lence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking to 
exercise— 
(A) any rights under this Act without com-
promising personal safety or the safety of oth-
ers, including family members and excluding 
the abuser; and 
(B) other components of economic security, 
including financial empowerment, affordable 
housing, transportation, healthcare access, and 
quality education and training opportunities;
126 
(2) identification of geographic areas with 
shortages in resources for such survivors, with an 
accompanying analysis of the extent and impact of 
such shortage; 
(3) analysis of factors related to industries, 
workplace settings, employer practices, trends, and 
other elements that impact the ability of such sur-
vivors to exercise any rights under this Act without 
compromising personal safety or the safety of others, 
including family members; 
(4) the recommendations of the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services and the Secretary of 
Labor with respect to resources, oversight, and en-
forcement tools to ensure successful implementation 
of the provisions of this Act in order to support the 
economic security and safety of survivors of domestic 
violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; 
and 
(5) best practices for States, employers, health 
carriers, insurers, and other private entities in ad-
dressing issues related to domestic violence, dating 
violence, sexual assault, or stalking. 
SEC. 705. GAO STUDY. 
Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States
127 
shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report that examines, 
with respect to survivors of domestic violence, dating vio-
lence, sexual assault, or stalking who are, or were, enrolled 
at institutions of higher education and borrowed a loan 
made, insured, or guaranteed under title IV of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) for which 
the survivors have not repaid the total interest and prin-
cipal due, each of the following: 
(1) The implications of domestic violence, dat-
ing violence, sexual assault, or stalking on a bor-
rower’s ability to repay their Federal student loans. 
(2) The adequacy of policies and procedures re-
garding Federal student loan deferment, forbear-
ance, and grace periods when a survivor has to sus-
pend or terminate the survivor’s enrollment at an in-
stitution of higher education due to domestic vio-
lence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. 
(3) The adequacy of institutional policies and 
practices regarding retention or transfer of credits 
when a survivor has to suspend or terminate the 
survivor’s enrollment at an institution of higher edu-
cation due to domestic violence, dating violence, sex-
ual assault, or stalking.
128 
(4) The availability or any options for a sur-
vivor of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual as-
sault, or stalking who attended an institution of 
higher education that committed unfair, deceptive, 
or abusive acts or practices, or otherwise substan-
tially misrepresented information to students, to be 
able to seek a defense to repayment of the survivor’s 
Federal student loan. 
(5) The limitations faced by a survivor of do-
mestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or 
stalking to obtain any relief or restitution on the 
survivor’s Federal student loan debt due to the use 
of forced arbitration, gag orders, or bans on class 
actions. 
SEC. 706. EDUCATION AND INFORMATION PROGRAMS FOR 
SURVIVORS. 
(a) PUBLIC EDUCATION CAMPAIGN.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Labor, in 
conjunction with the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (through the Director of the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention and the 
grant recipient under section 41501 of the Violence 
Against Women Act of 1994 that establishes the na-
tional resource center on workplace responses to as-
sist victims of domestic and sexual violence) and the
129 
Attorney General (through the Principal Deputy Di-
rector of the Office on Violence Against Women), 
shall coordinate and provide for a national public 
outreach and education campaign to raise public 
awareness of the workplace impact of domestic vio-
lence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, 
including outreach and education for employers, 
service providers, teachers, and other key partners. 
This campaign shall pay special attention to ensure 
that survivors are made aware of the existence of the 
following types of workplace laws (federal and/or 
State): anti-discrimination laws that bar treating 
survivors differently; leave laws, both paid and un-
paid that are available for use by survivors; unem-
ployment insurance laws and policies that address 
survivor eligibility. 
(2) DISSEMINATION.—The Secretary of Labor, 
in conjunction with the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services and the Attorney General, as de-
scribed in paragraph (1), may disseminate informa-
tion through the public outreach and education cam-
paign on the resources and rights referred to in this 
subsection directly or through arrangements with 
health agencies, professional and nonprofit organiza-
tions, consumer groups, labor organizations, institu-
130 
tions of higher education, clinics, the media, and 
Federal, State, and local agencies. 
(3) INFORMATION.—The information dissemi-
nated under paragraph (2) shall include, at a min-
imum, a description of— 
(A) the resources and rights that are— 
(i) available to survivors of domestic 
violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or 
stalking; and 
(ii) established in this Act and the Vi-
olence Against Women Act of 1994 (34 
U.S.C. 12291 et seq.); 
(B) guidelines and best practices on pre-
vention of domestic violence, dating violence, 
stalking, and sexual assault; 
(C) resources that promote healthy rela-
tionships and communication skills; 
(D) resources that encourage bystander 
intervention in a situation involving domestic vi-
olence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual as-
sault; 
(E) resources that promote workplace poli-
cies that support and help maintain the eco-
nomic security of survivors of domestic violence, 
dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, in-
131 
cluding guidelines and best practices to promote 
the creation of effective employee assistance 
programs; and 
(F) resources and rights that the heads of 
Federal agencies described in paragraph (2) de-
termine are appropriate to include. 
(4) COMMON
LANGUAGES.—The Secretary of 
Labor shall ensure that the information dissemi-
nated to survivors under paragraph (2) is made 
available in commonly encountered languages. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) EMPLOYEE.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘employee’’ 
means any individual employed by an employer. 
In the case of an individual employed by a pub-
lic agency, such term means an individual em-
ployed as described in section 3(e)(2) of the 
Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. 
203(e)(2)). 
(B) BASIS.—The term includes a person 
employed as described in subparagraph (A) on 
a full- or part-time basis, for a fixed time pe-
riod, on a temporary basis, pursuant to a detail, 
or as a participant in a work assignment as a
132 
condition of receipt of Federal or State income- 
based public assistance. 
(2) EMPLOYER.—The term ‘‘employer’’— 
(A) means any person engaged in com-
merce or in any industry or activity affecting 
commerce who employs 15 or more individuals; 
and 
(B) includes any person acting directly or 
indirectly in the interest of an employer in rela-
tion to an employee, and includes a public agen-
cy that employs individuals as described in sec-
tion 3(e)(2) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 
1938, but does not include any labor organiza-
tion (other than when acting as an employer) or 
anyone acting in the capacity of officer or agent 
of such labor organization. 
(3) FLSA TERMS.—The terms ‘‘employ’’ and 
‘‘State’’ have the meanings given the terms in sec-
tion 3 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 
U.S.C. 203). 
(c) STUDY ON WORKPLACE RESPONSES.—The Sec-
retary of Labor, in conjunction with the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, shall conduct a study on the 
status of workplace responses to employees who experience 
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalk-
133 
ing while employed, in each State and nationally, to im-
prove the access of survivors of domestic violence, dating 
violence, sexual assault, or stalking to supportive resources 
and economic security. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, 
such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 
2020 through 2024. 
SEC. 707. SEVERABILITY. 
If any provision of this Act, any amendment made 
by this Act, or the application of such provision or amend-
ment to any person or circumstance is held to be unconsti-
tutional, the remainder of the provisions of this Act, the 
amendments made by this Act, and the application of such 
provisions or amendments to any person or circumstance 
shall not be affected. 
TITLE VIII—HOMICIDE 
REDUCTION INITIATIVES 
SEC. 801. PROHIBITING PERSONS CONVICTED OF MIS-
DEMEANOR CRIMES AGAINST DATING PART-
NERS AND PERSONS SUBJECT TO PROTEC-
TION ORDERS. 
Section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended—
134 
(1) in paragraph (32), by striking all that fol-
lows after ‘‘The term ‘intimate partner’ ’’ and insert-
ing the following: ‘‘— 
‘‘(A) means, with respect to a person, the 
spouse of the person, a former spouse of the 
person, an individual who is a parent of a child 
of the person, and an individual who cohabi-
tates or has cohabited with the person; and 
‘‘(B) includes— 
‘‘(i) a dating partner or former dating 
partner (as defined in section 2266); and 
‘‘(ii) any other person similarly situ-
ated to a spouse who is protected by the 
domestic or family violence laws of the 
State or tribal jurisdiction in which the in-
jury occurred or where the victim resides.’’; 
(2) in paragraph (33)(A)— 
(A) in clause (i), by inserting after ‘‘Fed-
eral, State,’’ the following: ‘‘municipal,’’; and 
(B) in clause (ii), by inserting ‘‘intimate 
partner,’’ after ‘‘spouse,’’ each place it appears; 
(3) by redesignating paragraphs (34) and (35) 
as paragraphs (35) and (36) respectively; and 
(4) by inserting after paragraph (33) the fol-
lowing:
135 
‘‘(34)(A) The term ‘misdemeanor crime of stalking’ 
means an offense that— 
‘‘(i) is a misdemeanor crime of stalking under 
Federal, State, Tribal, or municipal law; and 
‘‘(ii) is a course of harassment, intimidation, or 
surveillance of another person that— 
‘‘(I) places that person in reasonable fear 
of material harm to the health or safety of— 
‘‘(aa) that person; 
‘‘(bb) an immediate family member 
(as defined in section 115) of that person; 
‘‘(cc) a household member of that per-
son; or 
‘‘(dd) a spouse or intimate partner of 
that person; or 
‘‘(II) causes, attempts to cause, or would 
reasonably be expected to cause emotional dis-
tress to a person described in item (aa), (bb), 
(cc), or (dd) of subclause (I). 
‘‘(B) A person shall not be considered to have been 
convicted of such an offense for purposes of this chapter, 
unless— 
‘‘(i) the person was represented by counsel in 
the case, or knowingly and intelligently waived the 
right to counsel in the case; and
136 
‘‘(ii) in the case of a prosecution for an offense 
described in this paragraph for which a person was 
entitled to a jury trial in the jurisdiction in which 
the case was tried, either— 
‘‘(I) the case was tried by a jury; or 
‘‘(II) the person knowingly and intel-
ligently waived the right to have the case tried 
by a jury, by guilty plea or otherwise. 
‘‘(C) A person shall not be considered to have been 
convicted of such an offense for purposes of this chapter 
if the conviction has been expunged or set aside, or is an 
offense for which the person has been pardoned or has 
had civil rights restored (if the law of the applicable juris-
diction provides for the loss of civil rights under such an 
offense) unless the pardon, expungement, or restoration 
of civil rights expressly provides that the person may not 
ship, transport, possess, or receive firearms.’’. 
SEC. 802. PROHIBITING STALKERS AND INDIVIDUALS SUB-
JECT TO COURT ORDER FROM POSSESSING A 
FIREARM. 
Section 922 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (d)—
159 
(5) MISSING OR MURDERED INDIAN.—The term 
‘‘missing or murdered Indian’’ means any Indian 
who is— 
(A) reported missing in Indian country or 
any other location; or 
(B) murdered in Indian country or any 
other location. 
(6) NOTIFICATION SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘notifi-
cation system’’ means— 
(A) the Criminal Justice Information Net-
work; 
(B) the AMBER Alert communications 
network established under subtitle A of title III 
of the PROTECT Act (34 U.S.C. 20501 et 
seq.); and 
(C) any other system or public notification 
system that relates to a report of a missing or 
murdered Indian, including any State, local, or 
Tribal notification system. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this section, the Comptroller General of 
the United States shall submit to the Committee on Indian 
Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Re-
sources of the House of Representatives a comprehensive 
report that includes—
165 
governments, and the general public on matters re-
lating to violence against women. 
‘‘(3) Serving, at the request of the Attorney 
General, as the representative of the Department of 
Justice on domestic task forces, committees, or com-
missions addressing policy or issues relating to vio-
lence against women. 
‘‘(4) Serving, at the request of the President, 
acting through the Attorney General, as the rep-
resentative of the United States Government on 
human rights and economic justice matters related 
to violence against women in international fora, in-
cluding, but not limited to, the United Nations. 
‘‘(5) Carrying out the functions of the Depart-
ment of Justice under the Violence Against Women 
Act of 1994 (title IV of Public Law 103–322), the 
Violence Against Women Act of 2000 (division B of 
Public Law 106–386), the Violence Against Women 
and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 
2005 (title IX of Public Law 109–162; 119 Stat. 
3080), the Violence Against Women Reauthorization 
Act of 2013 (Public Law 113–4; 127 Stat. 54), and 
the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 
2019, including with respect to those functions—