SAFE Act

Bill: 108-s-1801
Sponsor: Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA]
Introduced: 2003-10-30 in the Senate
Policy area: Labor and Employment
Subjects: Administrative remedies
Aid to dependent children
Business records
Cash welfare block grants
Child abuse
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Commerce
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Counseling
Crime and Law Enforcement
Crimes against women
Damages
Discrimination in employment
Discrimination in insurance
Discrimination in medical care
Dismissal of employees
Economics and Public Finance
Employee assistance programs
Employee health benefits
Employee rights
Employee selection
Employee training
Evidence (Law)
Families
Family leave
Family violence
Federal aid to Indians
Finance and Financial Sector
Financial planning
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Governmental investigations
Grants-in-aid
Health
Health insurance
Health insurance continuation
Households
Income tax
Indian children
Indian women
Information services
Injunctions
Insurance agents
Insurance companies
Law
Leave of absence
Legal fees
Legal services
Life insurance
Local employees
Minorities
Occupational health and safety
Personnel management
Personnel records
Punitive damages
Rape
Relocation
Resignation of employees
Restrictive trade practices
Right of privacy
Science, Technology, Communications
Sex crimes
Sick leave
Social Welfare
Social work
Stalking
State employees
Tax credits
Taxation
Telephone
Transfer of employees
Unemployment
Unemployment insurance
Victims of crimes
Violence in the workplace
Wife abuse
Witnesses
Women
Women's employment

Summary:
action_date: 2003-10-30
text: 
Security and Financial Empowerment (SAFE) Act - Sets forth entitlement standards and implementation guidelines for employee use of emergency leave to address domestic or sexual violence. Permits victims of domestic or sexual violence to substitute existing leave in lieu of emergency leave. 
 
Authorizes State use of funds under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) to provide nonrecurrent short-term emergency benefits for emergency leave precipitated by domestic or sexual violence .
Amends the Internal Revenue Code relating to approval of State unemployment compensation laws to prohibit denial of compensation where an individual is separated from employment due to circumstances resulting from the individual's experience of domestic or sexual violence.
Amends the Social Security Act to include training under this Act for unemployment compensation and TANF personnel.
Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award a grant to a national victim services organization to develop and disseminate a model program for domestic and sexual violence training.
Victims' Employment Sustainability Act - Prohibits certain discriminatory employer practices relating to terms or conditions of employment in connection with victims of domestic or sexual violence.
Victims of Abuse Insurance Protection Act - Prohibits denial or restriction of insurance coverage based on the status of the applicant or insured regarding abuse or abuse-related claims.
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a business related credit for 40 percent of an employer's costs for implementing workplace safety and education programs relating to domestic and sexual violence.
Authorizes the Attorney General to provide a grant for a clearinghouse and resource center to provide information and assistance to employers, labor organizations, and advocates on behalf of victims of domestic or sexual violence.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-10-30
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text of measure as introduced: CR 10/31/2003 S13668-13677)
action_date: 2003-10-30
text: Introduced in Senate