DEWINE SPONSORED VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT REAUTHORIZATION GOES TO PRESIDENT
U.S. Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH) applauds his colleagues in the Senate and House for their vote to approve the Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Conference Report which now awaits the president's signature. The Act, first passed in 1994, provides grants to state and local organizations that increase the awareness, treat, and prevent domestic violence.
"This is an important bill that is crucial to reducing domestic violence in homes across the country," said Senator DeWine, an original cosponsor of the reauthorization act. "The programs that receive funding through this Act are working. Since the passage of the Violence Against Women Act, in fact, incidents of domestic violence have decreased dramatically. Not only will this bill increase funding for the Violence Against Women Act, but it expands it with new definitions and provisions to make the act even more effective."
The Violence Against Women Reauthorization expands the definition of stalking to include cyber-stalking. It also targets resources towards groups that have been overlooked in the past, including minorities, people with disabilities, and those in rural areas.
Domestic violence is a very real problem in this country that affects both men and women regardless of age, race, or socio-economic status. On average, more than three women in the United States are murdered by their husbands or boyfriends every day. Each year 324,000 pregnant women are battered by the men in their lives. In addition, every two minutes someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. The reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act will help groups continue their crucial work to stop, treat, and prevent domestic violence.
http://dewine.senate.gov/