Empower our Girls Act

Bill: 117-hr-829
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Perry, Scott [R-PA-10]
Introduced: 2021-02-04
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Child safety and welfare

Crime prevention

Crime victims

Crimes against children

Crimes against women

Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation

Government trust funds

Homelessness and emergency shelter

Violent crime
Latest action: action_date: 2021-04-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-02-04
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Empower our Girls Act</b></p> <p>This bill allows certain grants authorized under the Violence Against Women Act to be used to support victims of female genital mutilation. Such grants already support victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. </p> <p>The bill also requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to classify female genital mutilation as a Part II crime (i.e., a less serious offense) in the Uniform Crime Reports. (The FBI compiles and periodically publishes crime statistics through the Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Currently, the FBI does not compile and publish information about female genital mutilation.)</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 829 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 4, 2021 Mr. Perry (for himself, Mr. DesJarlais , Mr. Norman , Mr. Burchett , Mr. Van Drew , Mr. Calvert , and Mrs. Walorski ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary , and in addition to the Committee on Financial Services , 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 A BILL To allow certain grants to be used for the purpose of assisting victims of female genital mutilation, to classify the offense of female genital mutilation as a part II crime for purposes of the Uniform Crime Reports, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Empower our Girls Act . 2. VAWA grant programs (a) STOP Violence Against Women Formula Grant Program Section 2001(b) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10441(b) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting female genital mutilation, after domestic violence, ; (2) in paragraph (2), by inserting female genital mutilation, after domestic violence, ; (3) in paragraph (3), by inserting female genital mutilation, after domestic violence, ; (4) in paragraph (4), by inserting female genital mutilation, after domestic violence, ; (5) in paragraph (5), by inserting female genital mutilation, after domestic violence, each place it appears; (6) in paragraph (7), by inserting female genital mutilation, after domestic violence, ; (7) in paragraph (10), by striking domestic violence and inserting domestic violence, female genital mutilation, ; (8) in paragraph (12), by inserting female genital mutilation, after domestic violence, each place it appears; (9) in paragraph (14), by inserting female genital mutilation, after domestic violence, ; and (10) in paragraph (20), by inserting female genital mutilation, after domestic violence, . (b) Consolidated Grant Program (1) Choose Children and Youth Section 41201 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 ( 34 U.S.C. 12451 ) is amended by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, each place it appears. (2) Smart prevention Section 41303 of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 ( 34 U.S.C. 12463 ) is amended— (A) in subsection (a), by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, each place it appears; (B) in subsection (b)— (i) in paragraph (2), by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, each place it appears; and (ii) in paragraph (3), by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, ; and (C) in subsection (c)— (i) in paragraph (1), by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, ; and (ii) in paragraph (2), by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, each place it appears. (c) Grants for Outreach and Services to Underserved Populations Section 120 of the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 ( 34 U.S.C. 20123 ) is amended by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, each place it appears. (d) Improving Criminal Justice Responses (1) Purpose Section 2101(a) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10461(a) ) is amended by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, . (2) Grant authority Section 2101(b) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10461(b) ) is amended— (A) in paragraph (2), by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, each place it appears; (B) in paragraph (3), by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, ; (C) in paragraph (4), by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, ; (D) in paragraph (5), by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, ; (E) in paragraph (6), by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, ; (F) in paragraph (14), by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, ; (G) in paragraph (15), by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, ; and (H) in paragraph (16), by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, . (3) Eligibility Section 2101(c)(1)(D) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10461(c)(1)(D) ) is amended— (A) by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, the first place it appears; and (B) by striking domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault and inserting domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, female genital mutilation, or stalking . (4) Applications Section 2102(b) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 ( 34 U.S.C. 10462(b) ) is amended by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, each place it appears. (e) Legal Assistance for Victims Section 1201 of the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 ( 34 U.S.C. 20121 ) is amended by inserting female genital mutilation, after dating violence, each place it appears. (f) Transitional Housing Assistance Grants Section 40299 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 ( 34 U.S.C. 12351 ) is amended by inserting female genital mutilation, after sexual assault, each place it appears. (g) Female genital mutilation defined Section 40002(a) of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 ( 34 U.S.C. 12291(a) ) is amended by adding at the end the following: (46) Female genital mutilation The term female genital mutilation means the removal or infibulation (or both) of the whole or part of the clitoris, the labia minor, or the labia major. . 3. Reporting on female genital mutilation (a) Uniform Crime Reports The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall, pursuant to section 534 of title 28, United States Code, classify the offense of female genital mutilation as a part II crime in the Uniform Crime Reports. (b) Female genital mutilation defined In this section, the term female genital mutilation means the removal or infibulation (or both) of the whole or part of the clitoris, the labia minora, or labia majora.