I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4720 
To authorize the Office on Violence Against Women to improve the handling 
of crimes of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalk-
ing by incorporating a trauma-informed approach into the initial response 
to and investigation of such crimes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 21, 2017 
Mr. EMMER (for himself, Mrs. HANDEL, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. 
JAYAPAL, Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire, and Mr. WALZ) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To authorize the Office on Violence Against Women to im-
prove the handling of crimes of domestic violence, dating 
violence, sexual assault, and stalking by incorporating 
a trauma-informed approach into the initial response to 
and investigation of such crimes. 
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 ‘‘Abby Honold Act’’. 
SEC. 
2. 
DEMONSTRATION 
PROGRAM 
ON 
TRAUMA-IN-
FORMED TRAINING FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— 
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(1) the term ‘‘Attorney General’’ means the At-
torney General, acting through the Director of the 
Office on Violence Against Women; 
(2) the term ‘‘covered individual’’ means an in-
dividual who interfaces with victims of domestic vio-
lence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, 
including— 
(A) an individual working for or on behalf 
of an eligible entity; 
(B) a school or university administrator; 
and 
(C) an emergency services or medical em-
ployee; 
(3) the term ‘‘demonstration site’’, with respect 
to an eligible entity that receives a grant under this 
section, means— 
(A) if the eligible entity is a law enforce-
ment agency described in paragraph (4)(A), the 
area over which the eligible entity has jurisdic-
tion; and 
(B) if the eligible entity is an organization 
or agency described in paragraph (4)(B), the 
area over which a law enforcement agency de-
scribed in paragraph (4)(A) that is working in 
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collaboration with the eligible entity has juris-
diction; and 
(4) the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means— 
(A) a State, local, territorial, or tribal law 
enforcement agency; or 
(B) a national, regional, or local victim 
services organization or agency working in col-
laboration with a law enforcement agency de-
scribed in subparagraph (A). 
(b) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General shall 
award grants on a competitive basis to eligible enti-
ties to carry out the demonstration program under 
this section by implementing evidence-based or 
promising policies and practices to incorporate trau-
ma-informed techniques designed to— 
(A) prevent re-traumatization of the vic-
tim; 
(B) ensure that covered individuals use evi-
dence-based practices to respond to and inves-
tigate cases of domestic violence, dating vio-
lence, sexual assault, and stalking; 
(C) improve communication between vic-
tims and law enforcement officers in an effort 
to increase the likelihood of the successful in-
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vestigation and prosecution of the alleged crime 
in a manner that protects the victim to the 
greatest extent possible; 
(D) increase collaboration among stake-
holders who are part of the coordinated commu-
nity response to domestic violence, dating vio-
lence, sexual assault, and stalking; and 
(E) evaluate the effectiveness of the train-
ing process and content by measuring— 
(i) investigative and prosecutorial 
practices and outcomes; and 
(ii) the well-being of victims and their 
satisfaction with the criminal justice proc-
ess. 
(2) TERM.—The Attorney General shall make 
grants under this section for each of the first 2 fis-
cal years beginning after the date of enactment of 
this Act. 
(3) AWARD BASIS.—The Attorney General shall 
award grants under this section to multiple eligible 
entities for use in a variety of settings and commu-
nities, including— 
(A) urban, suburban, tribal, remote, and 
rural areas; 
(B) college campuses; or 
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(C) traditionally underserved communities. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 
a grant under this section shall use the grant to— 
(1) train covered individuals within the dem-
onstration site of the eligible entity to use evidence- 
based, trauma-informed techniques throughout an 
investigation into domestic violence, dating violence, 
sexual assault, or stalking, including by— 
(A) conducting victim interviews in a man-
ner that— 
(i) elicits valuable information about 
the domestic violence, dating violence, sex-
ual assault, or stalking; and 
(ii) avoids re-traumatization of the 
victim; 
(B) conducting field investigations that 
mirror best and promising practices available at 
the time of the investigation; 
(C) customizing investigative approaches to 
ensure a culturally and linguistically appro-
priate approach to the community being served; 
(D) becoming proficient in understanding 
and responding to complex cases, including 
cases of domestic violence, dating violence, sex-
ual assault, or stalking— 
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(i) facilitated by alcohol or drugs; 
(ii) involving strangulation; 
(iii) committed by a non-stranger; 
(iv) committed by an individual of the 
same sex as the victim; 
(v) involving a victim with a disability; 
(vi) involving a male victim; or 
(vii) involving a lesbian, gay, bisexual, 
or transgender (commonly referred to as 
‘‘LGBT’’) victim; 
(E) developing collaborative relationships 
between— 
(i) law enforcement officers and other 
members of the response team; and 
(ii) the community being served; and 
(F) developing an understanding of how to 
define, identify, and correctly classify a report 
of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual as-
sault, or stalking; and 
(2) promote the efforts of the eligible entity to 
improve the response of covered individuals to do-
mestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and 
stalking through various communication channels, 
such as the website of the eligible entity, social 
media, print materials, and community meetings, in 
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order to ensure that all covered individuals within 
the demonstration site of the eligible entity are 
aware of those efforts and included in trainings, to 
the extent practicable. 
(d) DEMONSTRATION
PROGRAM
TRAININGS
ON 
TRAUMA-INFORMED APPROACHES.— 
(1) 
IDENTIFICATION
OF
EXISTING 
TRAININGS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Attorney General 
shall identify trainings for law enforcement offi-
cers, in existence as of the date on which the 
Attorney General begins to solicit applications 
for grants under this section, that— 
(i) employ a trauma-informed ap-
proach to domestic violence, dating vio-
lence, sexual assault, and stalking; and 
(ii) focus on the fundamentals of 
the— 
(I) neurobiology of trauma; and 
(II) impact of trauma on victims 
of domestic violence, dating violence, 
sexual assault, and stalking. 
(B) SELECTION.—An eligible entity that 
receives a grant under this section shall select 
1 or more of the approaches employed by a 
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training identified under subparagraph (A) to 
test within the demonstration site of the eligible 
entity. 
(2) CONSULTATION.—In carrying out para-
graph (1), the Attorney General shall consult with 
the Director of the Office for Victims of Crime in 
order to seek input from and cultivate consensus 
among outside practitioners and other stakeholders 
through facilitated discussions and focus groups on 
best practices in the field of trauma-informed care 
for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sex-
ual assault, and stalking. 
(e) EVALUATION.—The Attorney General, in con-
sultation with the Director of the National Institute of 
Justice, shall require each eligible entity that receives a 
grant under this section to identify a research partner, 
preferably a local research partner to— 
(1) design a system for generating and col-
lecting the appropriate data to facilitate an inde-
pendent process or impact evaluation of the use of 
the grant funds; 
(2) periodically conduct an evaluation described 
in paragraph (1); and 
(3) periodically make publicly available, during 
the grant period— 
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(A) preliminary results of the evaluations 
conducted under paragraph (2); and 
(B) recommendations for improving the 
use of the grant funds. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—The At-
torney General shall carry out this section using amounts 
otherwise available to the Attorney General. 
Æ 
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