I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6633 
To require the Attorney General to issue guidance to law enforcement agencies 
as they respond to increased levels of domestic violence during the 
COVID–19 public health emergency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 28, 2020 
Ms. WEXTON (for herself, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. GRI-
JALVA, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. HASTINGS, Mrs. CAROLYN B. 
MALONEY of New York, Ms. NORTON, Ms. ESCOBAR, Ms. MUCARSEL- 
POWELL, Mr. LYNCH, Ms. SEWELL of Alabama, Mr. LARSON of Con-
necticut, Mr. SOTO, Mr. COX of California, Mrs. BEATTY, Mr. BROWN 
of Maryland, Mr. MCGOVERN, Ms. PORTER, Ms. KUSTER of New Hamp-
shire, Miss GONZA´LEZ-COLO´N of Puerto Rico, Ms. SPANBERGER, Mr. 
PRICE of North Carolina, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS 
of Illinois, Mr. SMITH of Washington, and Mr. HECK) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To require the Attorney General to issue guidance to law 
enforcement agencies as they respond to increased levels 
of domestic violence during the COVID–19 public health 
emergency, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Domestic Violence 
Public Health Emergency Guidance Act’’. 
SEC. 2. GUIDANCE ON ADDRESSING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 
DURING 
THE 
COVID–19 
PUBLIC 
HEALTH 
EMERGENCY. 
(a) GUIDANCE.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Attorney General, in 
consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services and, to the extent practicable, domestic violence 
stakeholders and State, local, and tribal law enforcement 
stakeholders, shall issue guidance to Federal, State, local, 
and tribal law enforcement agencies which contain prom-
ising and best practices for addressing domestic violence 
and protecting the safety of law enforcement officers and 
all other parties involved, during the COVID–19 public 
health emergency. In issuing the guidance required under 
this subsection, the Attorney General shall— 
(1) identify law enforcement-centered promising 
and best practices for— 
(A) addressing domestic violence during 
the COVID–19 public health emergency; 
(B) adopting and implementing such pro-
grams and practices; 
(C) implementing measures to mitigate ex-
posure to COVID–19, including adequate use of 
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personal protective equipment, when responding 
to domestic violence incidents that create poten-
tial exposure to COVID–19 for all parties in-
volved; and 
(D) ensuring safety and limiting risk of ex-
posure to COVID–19 for family members of law 
enforcement officers; 
(2) identify victim-centered promising and best 
practices for— 
(A) assessing the potential threat of vio-
lence to the victim and their children, while en-
suring safety and privacy; 
(B) safety planning for victims and their 
children and taking preventive steps to ensure 
safety for all parties involved during the 
COVID–19 public health emergency; 
(C) timely submission of records for do-
mestic violence protective orders and other re-
lated court orders and convictions for crimes re-
lated to intimate partner violence in the na-
tional criminal instant background check sys-
tem; 
(D) enforcing domestic violence protective 
orders, other related court orders, and child 
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