Security and Financial Empowerment Act of 2015

Bill: 114-hr-3841
Sponsor: Rep. Roybal-Allard, Lucille [D-CA-40]
Introduced: 2015-10-27 in the House
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Assault and harassment offenses
Civil actions and liability
Congressional agencies
Congressional oversight
Crime prevention
Crime victims
Crimes against women
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Domestic violence and child abuse
Employee benefits and pensions
Employee hiring
Employee leave
Employment discrimination and employee rights
Evidence and witnesses
Financial literacy
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Health care costs and insurance
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Indian social and development programs
Insurance industry and regulation
Labor standards
Library of Congress
Life, casualty, property insurance
Poverty and welfare assistance
Sex offenses
Unemployment
Wages and earnings
Women's employment
Worker safety and health

Summary:
action_date: 2015-10-27
text: 

Security and Financial Empowerment Act of 2015

 
This bill amends the Violence Against Women Act to require the National Resource Center on Workplace Response provide information and assistance through domestic violence or sexual assault coalitions and survivor service organizations. These organizations and coalitions shall provide resource materials and assistance to employees, employers, and labor organizations to aid in efforts to develop adequate workplace responses to domestic and sexual violence.
 
In addition, the bill requires employers to provide employees 30 days of leave per year, including 56 hours of earned paid leave, which can be used as a result of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking of an employee or an employee's family member. States may provide nonrecurring short-term emergency benefits to employees using such leave.
 

Survivors' Employment Sustainability Act

 
The Survivors' Employment Sustainability Act prohibits employers, public benefit agencies, and insurers from discriminating against survivors of:
 
 
 domestic violence,
 
dating or sexual violence,
 
sexual assault, or
 
stalking.
 
 
Under the Internal Revenue Code, employers must give unemployment compensation to survivors who are separated from work due to conditions related to the individuals being survivors. The bill amends title IV part A (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) (TANF) of the Social Security Act to require state agency personnel that administer TANF programs to be adequately trained to assist survivors seeking assistance.
 
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must study the barriers survivors encounter to maintain economic security. HHS may arrange financial literacy support for survivors.
 
The Department of Labor must establish a public outreach campaign.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-03-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
action_date: 2016-03-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
action_date: 2015-11-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations.
action_date: 2015-10-27
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Human Resources.
action_date: 2015-10-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-27
text: Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Financial Services, Ways and Means, and the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2015-10-27
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2015-10-27
text: Introduced in House