I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 28
To establish the Violence Against Women Office within the Department of
Justice.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 3, 2001
Ms. SLAUGHTER (for herself and Mrs. MORELLA) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
A BILL
To establish the Violence Against Women Office within the
Department of Justice.
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 ‘‘Violence Against
Women Office Act’’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
OFFICE.
(a) OFFICE.—There is hereby established within the
Department of Justice, under the general authority of the
Attorney General, a Violence Against Women Office (in
this Act referred to as the ‘‘Office’’).
(b) DIRECTOR.—The Office shall be headed by a Di-
rector (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Director’’), who
shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice
and consent of the Senate. The Director shall report to
the Attorney General through the Associate Attorney Gen-
eral. The Director shall have final authority for all grants,
cooperative agreements, and contracts awarded by the Of-
fice. The Director shall not engage in any employment
other than that of serving as the Director, nor shall the
Director hold any office in, or act in any capacity for, any
organization, agency, or institution with which the Office
makes any contract or other arrangement under this Act.
SEC. 3. DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS OF DIRECTOR OF VIO-
LENCE AGAINST WOMEN OFFICE.
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall have the fol-
lowing duties:
(1) Serving as special counsel to the Attorney
General on the subject of violence against women.
(2) Maintaining liaison with the judicial
branches of the Federal and State Governments on
matters relating to violence against women.
(3) Providing information to the President, the
Congress, the judiciary, State and local govern-
ments, and the general public on matters relating to
violence against women.
(4) Serving, at the request of the Attorney Gen-
eral or Associate Attorney General, as the represent-
ative of the Department of Justice on domestic task
forces, committees, or commissions addressing policy
or issues relating to violence against women.
(5) 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 forums,
including, but not limited to, the United Nations.
(6) 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) and
the amendments made by that Act, and other func-
tions of the Department of Justice on matters relat-
ing to violence against women, including with re-
spect to those functions—
(A) the development of policy, protocols,
and guidelines;
(B) the development and management of
grant programs and other programs, and the
provision of technical assistance under such
programs; and
(C) the award and termination of grants,
cooperative agreements, and contracts.
(7) Providing technical assistance, coordination,
and support to—
(A) other elements of the Department of
Justice, in efforts to develop policy and to en-
force Federal laws relating to violence against
women, including the litigation of civil and
criminal actions relating to enforcing such laws;
(B) other Federal, State, and tribal agen-
cies, in efforts to develop policy, provide tech-
nical assistance, and improve coordination
among agencies carrying out efforts to elimi-
nate violence against women, including Indian
or indigenous women; and
(C) grantees, in efforts to combat violence
against women and to provide support and as-
sistance to victims of such violence.
(8) Exercising such other powers and functions
as may be vested in the Director pursuant to this
Act or by delegation of the Attorney General or As-
sociate Attorney General.
(9) Establishing such rules, regulations, guide-
lines, and procedures as are necessary to carry out
any function of the Office.
SEC. 4. STAFF OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN OFFICE.
The Attorney General shall ensure that the Director
has adequate staff to support the Director in carrying out
the Director’s responsibilities under this Act.
Æ