I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1258 
To protect the pets of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, 
and dating violence. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 4, 2015 
Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts (for herself, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. JOYCE, 
Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. DEFAZIO, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. ISRAEL, 
Mr. SCHIFF, Mr. GRAYSON, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Ms. TSON-
GAS, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. COHEN, Mr. HONDA, Ms. ROY-
BAL-ALLARD, Ms. TITUS, Mr. RYAN of Ohio, Mr. RODNEY DAVIS of Illi-
nois, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. 
PETERS, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. MEEHAN, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, Mr. 
DEUTCH, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr. QUIGLEY, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Mr. POLIS, 
Mr. JONES, Mr. BARLETTA, Ms. SINEMA, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. FARR, 
Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. MARINO, Mr. BUCHANAN, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. 
CAPUANO, Mr. KEATING, Mr. WELCH, Ms. MOORE, Ms. STEFANIK, Mrs. 
COMSTOCK, Mr. CARTWRIGHT, and Mr. GIBSON) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To protect the pets of victims of domestic violence, sexual 
assault, stalking, and dating violence. 
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 ‘‘Pet and Women Safety 
Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. PET INVOLVEMENT IN CRIMES RELATED TO DO-
MESTIC VIOLENCE AND STALKING. 
(a) INTERSTATE STALKING.—Section 2261A of title 
18, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)(A)— 
(A) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 
end; and 
(B) by inserting after clause (iii) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iv) the pet of that person; or’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2)(A)— 
(A) by inserting after ‘‘to a person’’ the 
following: ‘‘or a pet’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘or (iii)’’ and inserting 
‘‘(iii), or (iv)’’. 
(b) 
INTERSTATE
VIOLATION
OF
PROTECTION 
ORDER.—Section 2262 of title 18, United States Code, 
is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting after 
‘‘another person’’ the following: ‘‘or the pet of 
that person’’; and 
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(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting after 
‘‘proximity to, another person’’ the following 
‘‘or the pet of that person’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(5), by inserting after ‘‘in 
any other case,’’ the following: ‘‘including any case 
where the offense is committed against a pet,’’. 
(c) RESTITUTION TO INCLUDE VETERINARY SERV-
ICES.—Section 2264 of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended in subsection (b)(3)— 
(1) by redesignating subparagraph (F) as sub-
paragraph (G); 
(2) in subparagraph (E), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; and 
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(F) veterinary services relating to phys-
ical care for the victim’s pet; and’’. 
(d) PET DEFINED.—Section 2266 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after paragraph (10) 
the following: 
‘‘(11) PET.—The term ‘pet’ means a domes-
ticated animal, such as a dog, cat, bird, rodent, fish, 
turtle, horse, or other animal that is kept for pleas-
ure rather than for commercial purposes.’’. 
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SEC. 3. EMERGENCY AND TRANSITIONAL PET SHELTER 
AND 
HOUSING 
ASSISTANCE 
GRANT 
PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture, act-
ing in consultation with the Director of the Violence 
Against Women Office of the Department of Justice, the 
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall award 
grants under this section to eligible entities to carry out 
programs to provide the assistance described in subsection 
(c) with respect to victims of domestic violence, dating vio-
lence, sexual assault, or stalking and the pets of such vic-
tims. 
(b) APPLICATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—An eligible entity seeking a 
grant under this section shall submit an application 
to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 
containing such information as the Secretary may 
reasonably require, including— 
(A) a description of the activities for which 
a grant under this section is sought; 
(B) such assurances as the Secretary de-
termines to be necessary to ensure compliance 
by the entity with the requirements of this sec-
tion; and 
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(C) a certification that the entity, before 
engaging with any individual domestic violence 
victim, will disclose to such victim any manda-
tory duty of the entity to report instances of 
abuse and neglect (including instances of abuse 
and neglect of pets). 
(2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—In addition 
to the requirements of paragraph (1), each applica-
tion submitted by an eligible entity under such para-
graph shall— 
(A) not include proposals for any activities 
that may compromise the safety of a domestic 
violence victim, including— 
(i) background checks of domestic vio-
lence victims; or 
(ii) clinical evaluations to determine 
the eligibility of such a victim for support 
services; 
(B) not include proposals that would re-
quire mandatory services for victims or that a 
victim obtain a protective order in order to re-
ceive proposed services; and 
(C) reflect the eligible entity’s under-
standing of the dynamics of domestic violence, 
dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. 
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(3) RULES
OF
CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in 
this subsection shall be construed to require— 
(A) domestic violence victims to participate 
in the criminal justice system in order to re-
ceive services; or 
(B) eligible entities receiving a grant under 
this section to breach client confidentiality. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded under this sec-
tion may only be used for programs that provide— 
(1) emergency and transitional pet shelter and 
housing assistance, including assistance with respect 
to any construction or operating expenses of newly 
developed or existing emergency and transitional pet 
shelter and housing (regardless of whether such 
shelter and housing is co-located at a victim service 
provider or within the community); 
(2) short-term pet shelter and housing assist-
ance, including assistance with respect to expenses 
incurred for the temporary shelter, housing, board-
ing, or fostering of the pets of domestic violence vic-
tims and other expenses that are incidental to secur-
ing the safety of such a pet during the sheltering, 
housing, or relocation of such victims; 
(3) support services designed to enable a do-
mestic violence victim who is fleeing a situation of 
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domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or 
stalking to— 
(A) locate and secure safe housing with 
their pet or safe accommodations for their pet; 
or 
(B) provide the victim with pet-related 
services, such as pet transportation, pet care 
services, and other assistance; or 
(4) for the training of relevant stakeholders 
on— 
(A) the link between domestic violence, 
dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking and 
the abuse and neglect of pets; 
(B) the needs of domestic violence victims; 
(C) best practices for providing support 
services to such victims; 
(D) best practices for providing such vic-
tims with referrals to victims’ services; and 
(E) the importance of confidentiality. 
(d) GRANT CONDITIONS.—An eligible entity that re-
ceives a grant under this section shall, as a condition on 
such receipt, agree— 
(1) to be bound by the nondisclosure of con-
fidential 
information 
requirements 
of 
section 
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40002(b)(2) of the Violence Against Women Act of 
1994 (42 U.S.C. 13925(b)(2)); and 
(2) that the entity shall not condition the re-
ceipt of support, housing, or other benefits provided 
pursuant to this section on the participation of do-
mestic violence victims in any or all of the support 
services offered to such victims through a program 
carried out by the entity using grant funds. 
(e) DURATION OF ASSISTANCE PROVIDED TO VIC-
TIMS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
assistance provided with respect to a pet of a domes-
tic violence victim using grant funds awarded under 
this section shall be provided for a period of not 
more than 24 months. 
(2) EXTENSION.—An eligible entity that re-
ceives a grant under this section may extend the 24- 
month period referred to in paragraph (1) for a pe-
riod of not more than 6 months in the case of a do-
mestic violence victim who— 
(A) has made a good faith effort to acquire 
permanent housing for their pet during such 
24-month period; and 
(B) has been unable to acquire such per-
manent housing within such period. 
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(f) REPORT TO THE SECRETARY.—Not later than 
one year after the date on which an eligible entity receives 
a grant under this section and each year thereafter, such 
entity shall submit to the Secretary of Agriculture a re-
port. Such report shall contain, with respect to assistance 
provided by such entity with respect to pets of domestic 
violence victims using grant funds received under this sec-
tion, information on— 
(1) the number of pets provided such assist-
ance; and 
(2) the purpose, amount, type of, and duration 
of such assistance. 
(g) REPORT TO CONGRESS.— 
(1) REPORTING REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 
November 1 of each even-numbered fiscal year, the 
Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to the Com-
mittee on Agriculture of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 
and Forestry of the Senate a report that contains a 
compilation of the information contained in the re-
port submitted under subsection (f). 
(2) AVAILABILITY OF REPORT.—The Secretary 
of Agriculture shall transmit a copy of the report 
submitted under paragraph (1) to— 
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(A) the Office on Violence Against Women 
of the Department of Justice; 
(B) the Office of Community Planning and 
Development at the Department of Housing 
and Urban Development; and 
(C) the Administration for Children and 
Families at the Department of Health and 
Human Services. 
(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $3,000,000 for 
each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020. 
(2) LIMITATION.—Of the amount made avail-
able under paragraph (1) in any fiscal year, not 
more than 5 percent may be used for evaluation, 
monitoring, technical assistance, salaries, and ad-
ministrative expenses. 
(i) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM DEFINED.— 
The term ‘‘domestic violence victim’’ means a victim 
of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, 
or stalking. 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means— 
(A) a State; 
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(B) a general unit of local government; 
(C) an Indian tribe; or 
(D) any other organization that has a doc-
umented history of effective work concerning 
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual as-
sault, or stalking (as determined by the Sec-
retary), including— 
(i) a domestic violence and sexual as-
sault victim service provider; 
(ii) a domestic violence and sexual as-
sault coalition; 
(iii) a community-based and culturally 
specific organization; 
(iv) any other nonprofit, nongovern-
mental organization; and 
(v) any organization that works di-
rectly with pets and collaborates with any 
organization referred to in clauses (i) 
through (iv), including— 
(I) an animal shelter; and 
(II) an animal welfare organiza-
tion. 
SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that States should encour-
age the inclusion of protections against violent or threat-
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ening acts against the pet of the person in domestic vio-
lence protection orders. 
Æ 
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