Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that reauthorizes the "Violence Against Women Act" for fiscal years 2012 through 2016.

Highlights:

• Requires all programs funded by the Violence Against Women Act to have a nondiscrimination policy that includes race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability (Sec. 3).

• Defines “gender identity” as real or perceived gender-related characteristics (Sec. 3).

• Exempts sex-specific programs from the requirement that all programs funded by this act have nondiscrimination policies that prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex (Sec. 3).

• Authorizes 15,000 visas per year to be given to undocumented immigrants that assist in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity, whereas existing law limits the number of visas to 10,000 a year (Sec. 805).

• Authorizes tribal governments to have special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction over any individual that commits domestic violence, dating violence, or violates a protection order against an Indian, the spouse or intimate partner of an Indian, an individual living in the Indian country, or an individual employed by the Indian tribe, whereas existing law does not authorize tribal governments to have jurisdiction over non-Indian individuals (Sec. 904).

• Defines “domestic violence” as violence against a current or former spouse or intimate partner, whereas existing law does not include intimate partners in the definition of domestic violence (Sec. 3).

• Appropriates $5 million for each fiscal year 2012 through 2016 to be used for the development of tribal criminal justice systems including, but not limited to, the following (Sec. 904):
• Prosecution;
• Trial and appellate courts;
• Probation systems;
• Detention and correctional facilities; and
• Criminal codes and rules of criminal and appellate procedures.

• Appropriates $222 million for fiscal years 2012 through 2016 to be used for programs that combat violence against women including, but not limited to, the following (Sec. 101):
• Programs that provide services for male and female victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking whose ability to access traditional services is affected by their sexual orientation or gender identity;
• Programs that develop state, local, or tribal policies for responding to sexual assault, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking;
• Programs that develop policies and training for law enforcement and prosecutors to investigate and prosecute sexual assault cases and provide treatment to victims of sexual assault;   
• Programs that address sexual assault against men, women, and youth in correctional and detention settings;
• Programs that identify backlogs of sexual assault evidence and develop protocols for responding to backlogs; and
• Educational programs that are intended to prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

• Defines “youth” as a person between 11 and 24 years of age, whereas existing law defines youth as teens and young adults (Sec. 3).

• Appropriates $73 million for each fiscal year 2012 through 2016 for the development of programs that encourage arrest policies and enforcement of protection orders including, but not limited to, the following (Sec. 102):
• Programs that educate judicial employees and judges about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking;
• Programs that develop policies for law enforcement, prosecutors, and judicial employees that are intended to help them recognize, investigate, and prosecute violence against immigrant victims;
• Programs that develop state, local, and tribal policies for responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and
• Programs that provide human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, counseling, and prophylaxis for sexual assault victims.

• Appropriates $57 million for each fiscal year 2012 through 2016 to develop programs that provide legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (Sec. 103).

• Reduces appropriations from $50 million per year to $40 million for each fiscal year 2012 through 2016 to develop programs that provide sexual assault services (Sec. 201).

• Reduces appropriations from $55 million per year to $50 million for each fiscal year 2012 through 2016 to develop rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child abuse enforcement assistance programs (Sec. 202).

• Defines “rural” as a state that has a population density of 57 individuals per square mile and whose largest county has less than 250,000 individuals, whereas existing law defines rural as a state that has a population density of 52 individuals per square mile and whose largest county has less than 150,000 individuals (Sec. 3).

• Reduces appropriations from $10 million per year to $9 million for each fiscal year 2012 through 2016 for training and services to end violence against women with disabilities (Sec. 203).

• Appropriates $9 million for each fiscal year 2012 through 2016 for training and services to end abuse of individuals who are 50 years of age or older, whereas existing law does not appropriate any funds for this purpose (Sec. 204).

• Reduces appropriations from $80 million per year to $50 million for each fiscal year 2012 through 2016 for rape prevention and education programs for young victims of violence, and requires the funds to be appropriated as follows (Sec. 301):
• Appropriates a minimum of $150,000 each fiscal year to each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico;
• Appropriates a minimum of $35,000 each fiscal year to each U.S. territory; and
• Appropriates any remaining funds to each state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in proportion to their populations.

• Appropriates $15 million for each fiscal year 2012 through 2016 to develop victim-centered services that focus on youth and children who are victims of, or exposed to, domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and requires at least 10 percent of these funds to be appropriated to Indian tribes (Sec. 302).

• Reduces appropriations from $10 million per year to $4 million for each fiscal year 2012 through 2016 to provide housing for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (Sec. 603).

• Appropriates $22 million for each fiscal year 2012 through 2016 to amend the civil and criminal justice systems' response to families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or allegations of child sexual abuse (Sec. 104).

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text