I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2119 
To amend the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act to make 
improvements. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 23, 2021 
Mrs. MCBATH (for herself, Mr. YOUNG, Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, and Mr. 
KATKO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Education and Labor 
A BILL 
To amend the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act 
to make improvements. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; REFERENCES IN ACT. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement 
Act of 2021’’. 
(b) REFERENCES.—Except as otherwise specified, 
amendments made by this Act to a section or other provi-
sion of law are amendments to such section or other provi-
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sion of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act 
(42 U.S.C. 10401 et seq.). 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
Subsection (b) of section 301 (42 U.S.C. 10401) is 
amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(b) PURPOSE.—It is the purpose of this title to im-
prove services and interventions and advance primary and 
secondary prevention of family violence, domestic violence, 
and dating violence by— 
‘‘(1) assisting States and territories in sup-
porting local family violence programs to provide ac-
cessible, trauma-informed, culturally relevant resi-
dential and non-residential services to domestic vio-
lence victims and their children and dependents; 
‘‘(2) strengthening the capacity of Indian 
Tribes to exercise their sovereign authority to re-
spond to family violence committed against Indians; 
‘‘(3) providing for a network of technical assist-
ance and training centers to support effective policy, 
practice, research, and cross-system collaboration to 
improve intervention and prevention efforts through-
out the country; 
‘‘(4) supporting the efforts of State, territorial, 
and Tribal coalitions to document and address the 
needs of victims and their children and dependents, 
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including victims and their children and dependents 
who are underserved, implement effective coordi-
nated community and systems responses, and pro-
mote ongoing public education and community en-
gagement; 
‘‘(5) maintaining national domestic violence 
hotlines, including a national Indian domestic vio-
lence hotline; and 
‘‘(6) supporting the development and implemen-
tation of evidence-informed, coalition-led, and com-
munity-based primary prevention approaches and 
programs.’’. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 302 (42 U.S.C. 10402) is amended— 
(1) by amending paragraph (2) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(2) DATING
PARTNER.—The term ‘dating 
partner’ means any person who is or has been in a 
social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature 
with a victim, and where the existence of such a re-
lationship shall be determined based on a consider-
ation of— 
‘‘(A) the length of the relationship; 
‘‘(B) the type of the relationship; and 
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‘‘(C) the frequency of interaction between 
the persons involved in the relationship.’’; 
(2) by striking paragraphs (3) and (4); 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) DIGITAL
SERVICES.—The term ‘digital 
services’ means services, resources, information, sup-
port, or referrals provided through electronic com-
munications platforms and media, which may in-
clude mobile phone technology, video technology, 
computer technology (including use of the internet), 
and any other emerging communications tech-
nologies that are appropriate for the purposes of 
providing services, resources, information, support, 
or referrals for the benefit of victims of domestic vio-
lence, dating violence, or family violence. 
‘‘(4) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, 
FAMILY VIOLENCE.—The terms ‘domestic violence’, 
‘dating violence’, and ‘family violence’ mean any act, 
threatened act, or pattern of acts of physical or sex-
ual violence, stalking, harassment, psychological 
abuse, economic abuse, technological abuse, or any 
other form of abuse, including threatening to com-
mit harm against children or dependents or other 
members of the household of the recipient of the 
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threat for the purpose of coercion, threatening, or 
causing harm, directed against— 
‘‘(A) a dating partner or other person 
similarly situated to a dating partner under the 
laws of the jurisdiction; 
‘‘(B) a person who is cohabitating with or 
has cohabitated with the person committing 
such an act; 
‘‘(C) a current or former spouse or other 
person similarly situated to a spouse under the 
laws of the jurisdiction; 
‘‘(D) a person who shares a child or de-
pendent in common with the person committing 
such an act; or 
‘‘(E) any other person who is protected 
from any such act under the domestic or family 
violence laws, policies, or regulations of the ju-
risdiction.’’; 
(4) by amending paragraph (5) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(5) INDIAN; INDIAN TRIBE; TRIBAL ORGANIZA-
TION.—The terms ‘Indian’, ‘Indian Tribe’, and 
‘Tribal organization’ have the meanings given the 
terms ‘Indian’, ‘Indian tribe’, and ‘tribal organiza-
tion’, respectively, in section 4 of the Indian Self-De-
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termination and Education Assistance Act (25 
U.S.C. 5304).’’; 
(5) by— 
(A) redesignating paragraphs (13) and 
(14) as paragraphs (17) and (18), respectively; 
(B) redesignating paragraphs (8) through 
(12) as paragraphs (11) through (15), respec-
tively; and 
(C) redesignating paragraphs (6) and (7) 
as paragraphs (7) and (8), respectively; 
(6) by inserting after paragraph (5) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(6) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.— 
The term ‘institution of higher education’ has the 
meaning given such term in section 101 of the High-
er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).’’; 
(7) in paragraph (8), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘42 U.S.C. 13925(a)’’ and inserting ‘‘34 
U.S.C. 12291(a)’’; 
(8) by inserting after paragraph (8) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(9) POPULATION
SPECIFIC
SERVICES.—The 
term ‘population specific services’ has the meaning 
given such term in section 40002(a) of the Violence 
Against Women Act (34 U.S.C. 12291(a)). 
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‘‘(10) RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY GROUP.— 
The term ‘racial and ethnic minority group’ includes 
each group listed in the definition of such term in 
section 1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 300u–6(g)).’’; 
(9) by amending paragraph (12), as so redesig-
nated, to read as follows: 
‘‘(12) SHELTER.—The term ‘shelter’ means the 
provision of temporary refuge and basic necessities, 
in conjunction with supportive services, provided on 
a regular basis, in compliance with applicable State, 
Tribal, territorial, or local law to victims of family 
violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, and 
their children and dependents. Such law includes 
regulations governing the provision of safe homes 
and other forms of secure temporary lodging, meals, 
or supportive services (including providing basic ne-
cessities) to victims of family violence, domestic vio-
lence, or dating violence, and their children and de-
pendents.’’; 
(10) in paragraph (14), as so redesignated— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(C), by inserting ‘‘, designated by the Sec-
retary,’’ after ‘‘organization’’; and 
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(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘de-
pendents’’ and inserting ‘‘children and depend-
ents’’; 
(11) in paragraph (15), as so redesignated, by 
striking ‘‘dependents’’ each place it appears and in-
serting ‘‘children and dependents’’; 
(12) by inserting after paragraph (15), as so 
redesignated, the following: 
‘‘(16) TRIBAL
DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE
COALI-
TION.—The term ‘Tribal domestic violence coalition’ 
means an established nonprofit, nongovernmental 
Indian organization recognized by the Office of Vio-
lence Against Women of the Department of Justice 
that— 
‘‘(A) provides education, support, and tech-
nical assistance to member Indian service pro-
viders in a manner that enables the member 
providers to establish and maintain culturally 
appropriate services, including shelter (includ-
ing supportive services) designed to assist In-
dian victims of family violence, domestic vio-
lence, or dating violence and the children and 
dependents of such victims; and 
‘‘(B) is comprised of members that are 
representative of— 
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‘‘(i) the member service providers de-
scribed in subparagraph (A); and 
‘‘(ii) the Tribal communities in which 
the services are being provided.’’; 
(13) in paragraph (17), as so redesignated— 
(A) by striking ‘‘tribally’’ and inserting 
‘‘Tribally’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘tribal’’ and inserting 
‘‘Tribal’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘tribe’’ each place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘Tribe’’; and 
(14) by striking paragraph (18), as so redesig-
nated, and inserting the following: 
‘‘(18) UNDERSERVED
POPULATIONS
AND
UN-
DERSERVED INDIVIDUALS.—The terms ‘underserved 
populations’ and ‘underserved individuals’ mean vic-
tims of domestic violence, dating violence, or family 
violence, and their children and dependents who face 
obstacles in accessing and using State, Tribal, terri-
torial, or local domestic violence, dating violence, or 
family violence services, and who may be overrepre-
sented due to historical barriers. Populations may be 
underserved on the basis of, marginalized racial and 
ethnic minority populations, Indigenous status, cul-
tural and language barriers, immigration status, 
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physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities, mental 
disabilities or other mental health needs, sexual ori-
entation or gender identity, age (including both el-
ders and minors), geographical location, faith or reli-
gious practice, or other bases, as determined by the 
Secretary, under the Family Violence Prevention 
and Services Act program carried out under this 
title. 
‘‘(19) CHILD.—The term ‘child’ means an indi-
vidual who is— 
‘‘(A) younger than age 18; and 
‘‘(B) not an emancipated minor.’’. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
The Act is amended by repealing section 303 (42 
U.S.C. 10403) and inserting the following: 
‘‘SEC. 303. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
‘‘(a) APPLICATION.—This section shall apply for any 
fiscal year before the first fiscal year for which the amount 
appropriated to carry out the provisions specified in sub-
section (b) is not less than $185,000,000. 
‘‘(b) AUTHORIZATIONS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out sections 301 through 312, 
$253,300,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 
2026. 
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‘‘(2) RESERVATION FOR GRANTS TO TRIBES.— 
Of the amounts appropriated under paragraph (1) 
for a fiscal year, 10 percent shall be reserved and 
used to carry out section 309. 
‘‘(3) FORMULA
GRANTS
TO
STATES.—Of the 
amounts appropriated under paragraph (1) for a fis-
cal year and not reserved under paragraph (2) (re-
ferred to in this subsection as the ‘remainder’), not 
less than 75 percent shall be used for making grants 
under section 306(a). 
‘‘(4) TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE
AND
TRAINING 
CENTERS.—Of the remainder, not less than 6 per-
cent shall be used to carry out section 310. 
‘‘(5) GRANTS FOR STATE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 
COALITIONS.—Of the remainder, not less than 10 
percent shall be used to carry out section 311. 
‘‘(6) SPECIALIZED SERVICES.—Of the remain-
der, not less than 5 percent shall be used to carry 
out section 312. 
‘‘(7) ADMINISTRATION, EVALUATION, AND MON-
ITORING.—Of the remainder, not more than 4 per-
cent shall be used by the Secretary for evaluation, 
monitoring, and other administrative costs under 
this title. 
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‘‘(c) TRIBAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COALITIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 
311A $7,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 
2026. 
‘‘(d) NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOTLINE.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 
313 $14,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 
2026. 
‘‘(e) NATIONAL INDIAN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOT-
LINE.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out section 313A $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 
through 2026. 
‘‘(f) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION ENHANCE-
MENT AND LEADERSHIP THROUGH ALLIANCES.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 314 
$26,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 2026. 
‘‘(g) GRANTS FOR UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out section 
315 $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 through 
2026. 
‘‘(h) GRANTS
FOR CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SERV-
ICES.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
section 316 $6,250,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 
through 2026. 
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