Title: My Sister's Keeper Act of 2017
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement

Summary:
Domestic Violence Safety Plan Grant Program Act of 2017 or My Sister's Keeper Act of 2017
This bill directs the Department of Justice to award grants to eligible state and local governments, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations to develop, promote, and teach the importance of the critical role played by relatives, friends, and co-workers in combating domestic violence.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1978 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1978

  To establish a grant program to empower relatives, friends, and co-
      workers of domestic violence victims to create safety plans.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 6, 2017

 Ms. Jackson Lee introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                     the Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To establish a grant program to empower relatives, friends, and co-
      workers of domestic violence victims to create safety plans.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Domestic Violence Safety Plan Grant 
Program Act of 2017'' or as the ``My Sister's Keeper Act of 2017''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds as follows:
            (1) Approximately 1 in 4 women will experience domestic 
        violence during her lifetime and every year; 1 in 3 women who 
        is a victim of homicide is murdered by her current or former 
        partner.
            (2) Every year, more than 3 million children witness 
        domestic violence in their homes and children who live in homes 
        where there is domestic violence also suffer abuse or neglect 
        at high rates.
            (3) Children are more likely to intervene when they witness 
        severe violence against a parent, which places them at great 
        risk for injury or even death.
            (4) Girls who witness domestic violence are more vulnerable 
        to abuse as teens and adults and boys who witness domestic 
        violence are more likely to become adult abusers of their 
        partners, their children, or both, thus continuing the cycle of 
        violence in the next generation.
            (5) Most domestic violence incidents are never reported.
            (6) Family members, close friends, co-workers, and other 
        persons close to a victim of domestic violence frequently 
        observe things that lead them to suspect that their loved one 
        or colleague is being abused but do not feel they possess the 
        knowledge and skills needed to provide constructive assistance 
        that can make a real difference in the life of the victim.
            (7) Domestic violence costs the national economy more than 
        $37 billion a year in law enforcement involvement, legal work, 
        medical and mental health treatment, and lost productivity.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM TO DISCOURAGE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

    (a) In General.--The Attorney General shall establish a program to 
award grants to eligible State and local governments, educational 
institutions, and non-profit organizations to develop, promote, and 
teach the importance of the critical role that can be played by 
relatives, friends, and co-workers in combating domestic violence.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated for purposes of the grant program under this section 
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
    (c) Sunset.--The provisions of this section shall cease to have 
effect beginning on the last day of fiscal year 2022.
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