Better Care For Domestic Violence Survivors Act

Bill: 118-hr-6168
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Sykes, Emilia Strong [D-OH-13]
Introduced: 2023-11-01
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Latest action: action_date: 2023-11-01
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 6168 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 1, 2023 Mrs. Sykes introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 to ensure that healthcare providers can assist survivors of domestic violence, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the or the Better Care For Domestic Violence Survivors Act . 2. Demonstration program on trauma-informed, victim-centered training for healthcare providers (a) In general Subtitle Q of title IV of the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 ( 34 U.S.C. 12513 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: 41702. Demonstration program on trauma-informed, victim-centered training for healthcare providers (a) Definitions In this section— (1) the term Attorney General means the Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women; (2) the term Secretary means the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services; (3) the term covered individual means an individual who interfaces with victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including— (A) an individual working for or on behalf of an eligible entity; (B) an administrator or personnel of a school, university, or other educational program or activity (including a campus police officer or a school resource officer); and (C) an emergency services employee; (4) the term eligible entity means a facility as described in paragraph (1), (2), (4), (5), or (6) of section 1624 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300s–3 ); and (5) the term mandatory partner means a national, regional, or local victim services organization or agency working in collaboration with a facility described in paragraph (4). (b) Grants authorized (1) In general The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary, shall award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to collaborate with their mandatory partners to carry out the demonstration program under this section by implementing evidence-based or promising investigative policies and practices to incorporate trauma-informed, victim-centered techniques designed to— (A) prevent re-traumatization of the victim; (B) ensure that covered individuals use evidence-based practices to identify, respond to, and treat cases of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; (C) increase collaboration among stakeholders who are part of the coordinated community response to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and (D) evaluate the effectiveness of the training process and content. (2) Award basis The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary, shall award grants under this section to multiple eligible entities for use in a variety of settings and communities, including— (A) urban, suburban, Tribal, remote, and rural areas; (B) college campuses; or (C) traditionally underserved communities. (c) Use of funds An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant to— (1) train covered individuals associated with the eligible entity to use evidence-based, trauma-informed, and victim-centered techniques to identify and treat individuals who have experienced domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including by— (A) customizing treatment approaches to ensure a culturally and linguistically appropriate approach to the community being served; (B) becoming proficient in understanding and responding to complex cases, including cases of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking— (i) facilitated by alcohol or drugs; (ii) involving strangulation; (iii) committed by a non-stranger; (iv) committed by an individual of the same sex as the victim; (v) involving a victim with a disability; (vi) involving a male victim; or (vii) involving a lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (commonly referred to as LGBT ) victim; (C) developing collaborative relationships between— (i) healthcare providers, law enforcement officers, and other members of the response team; and (ii) the community being served; and (D) developing an understanding of how to define, identify, and correctly classify a report of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; and (2) promote the efforts of the eligible entity to improve the response of covered individuals to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking through various communication channels, such as the website of the eligible entity, social media, print materials, and community meetings, in order to ensure that all covered individuals associated with the eligible entity are aware of those efforts and included in trainings, to the extent practicable. (d) Demonstration program trainings on trauma-Informed, victim-Centered approaches (1) In general The Attorney General, in consultation with the Secretary, shall identify trainings for covered individuals, in existence as of the date on which the Attorney General begins to solicit applications for grants under this section, that— (A) employ a trauma-informed, victim-centered approach to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and (B) focus on the fundamentals of— (i) trauma responses; (ii) the impact of trauma on victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and (iii) techniques for effectively treating the medical consequences of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. (2) Selection An eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall select one or more of the approaches employed by a training identified under paragraph (1) to test at the eligible entity. (e) Evaluations (1) In general The Attorney General and the Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute of Justice, shall require each eligible entity that receives a grant under this section to identify a research partner, preferably a local research partner, to— (A) design a system for generating and collecting the appropriate data to facilitate an independent process or impact evaluation of the use of the grant funds; (B) periodically conduct an evaluation described in subparagraph (A); and (C) periodically make publicly available, during the grant period— (i) preliminary results of the evaluations conducted under subparagraph (B); and (ii) recommendations for improving the use of the grant funds. (2) GAO Report Not later than three years after the date of the enactment of this section, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committees on Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, and Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Judiciary and on Finance of the Senate a report summarizing the implementation of this section. (f) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2024 through 2028 to carry out this section. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of contents for the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 ( 34 U.S.C. 10101 note) is amended by inserting after the item related to section 41701 the following: 41702. Demonstration program on trauma-informed, victim-centered training for healthcare providers. .