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Billno should always have and extension i.e. h1.ih

To amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to provide for transitional housing assistance grants for child victims of domestic violence. (Introduced in Senate)

S 826 IS

108th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 826

To amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to provide for transitional housing assistance grants for child victims of domestic violence.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 9, 2003

Mr. LEAHY (for himself, Mr. KENNEDY, and Mr. BIDEN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to provide for transitional housing assistance grants for child victims of domestic violence.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, STALKING, OR SEXUAL ASSAULT.

Subtitle B of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13701 note; 108 Stat. 1925) is amended by adding at the end the following:

`CHAPTER 11--TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, STALKING, OR SEXUAL ASSAULT

`SEC. 40299. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, STALKING, OR SEXUAL ASSAULT.

`(a) IN GENERAL- The Attorney General, acting in consultation with the Director of the Violence Against Women Office of the Department of Justice, shall award grants under this section to States, units of local government, Indian tribes, and other organizations (referred to in this section as the `recipient') to carry out programs to provide assistance to minors, adults, and their dependents--

`(1) who are homeless, or in need of transitional housing or other housing assistance, as a result of fleeing a situation of domestic violence; and

`(2) for whom emergency shelter services or other crisis intervention services are unavailable or insufficient.

`(b) GRANTS- Grants awarded under this section may be used for programs that provide--

`(1) short-term housing assistance, including rental or utilities payments assistance and assistance with related expenses such as payment of security deposits and other costs incidental to relocation to transitional housing for persons described in subsection (a); and

`(2) support services designed to enable a minor, an adult, or a dependent of such minor or adult, who is fleeing a situation of domestic violence to--

`(A) locate and secure permanent housing; and

`(B) integrate into a community by providing that minor, adult, or dependent with services, such as transportation, counseling, child care services, case management, employment counseling, and other assistance.

`(c) DURATION-

`(1) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in paragraph (2), a minor, an adult, or a dependent, who receives assistance under this section shall receive that assistance for not more than 18 months.

`(2) WAIVER- The recipient of a grant under this section may waive the restriction under paragraph (1) for not more than an additional 6 month period with respect to any minor, adult, or dependent, who--

`(A) has made a good-faith effort to acquire permanent housing; and

`(B) has been unable to acquire permanent housing.

`(d) Application--

`(1) IN GENERAL- Each eligible entity desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Attorney General at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such information as the Attorney General may reasonably require.

`(2) CONTENTS- Each application submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall--

`(A) describe the activities for which assistance under this section is sought; and

`(B) provide such additional assurances as the Attorney General determines to be essential to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section.

`(3) APPLICATION- Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to require--

`(A) victims to participate in the criminal justice system in order to receive services; or

`(B) domestic violence advocates to breach client confidentiality.

`(e) Report to the Attorney General--

`(1) IN GENERAL- A recipient of a grant under this section shall annually prepare and submit to the Attorney General a report describing--

`(A) the number of minors, adults, and dependents assisted under this section; and

`(B) the types of housing assistance and support services provided under this section.

`(2) CONTENTS- Each report prepared and submitted pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include information regarding--

`(A) the amount of housing assistance provided to each minor, adult, or dependent, assisted under this section and the reason for that assistance;

`(B) the number of months each minor, adult, or dependent, received assistance under this section;

`(C) the number of minors, adults, and dependents who--

`(i) were eligible to receive assistance under this section; and

`(ii) were not provided with assistance under this section solely due to a lack of available housing; and

`(D) the type of support services provided to each minor, adult, or dependent, assisted under this section.

`(f) REPORT TO CONGRESS-

`(1) REPORTING REQUIREMENT- The Attorney General, with the Director of the Violence Against Women Office, shall annually prepare and submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate a report that contains a compilation of the information contained in the report submitted under subsection (e).

`(2) AVAILABILITY OF REPORT- In order to coordinate efforts to assist the victims of domestic violence, the Attorney General, in coordination with the Director of the Violence Against Women Office, shall transmit a copy of the report submitted under paragraph (1) to--

`(A) the Office of Community Planning and Development at the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development; and

`(B) the Office of Women's Health at the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

`(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS-

`(1) IN GENERAL- There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $30,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2004 through 2008.

`(2) LIMITATIONS- Of the amount made available to carry out this section in any fiscal year, not more than 3 percent may be used by the Attorney General for salaries and administrative expenses.

`(3) MINIMUM AMOUNT-

`(A) IN GENERAL- Except as provided in subparagraph (B), unless all eligible applications submitted by any States, units of local government, Indian tribes, or organizations within a State for a grant under this section have been funded, that State, together with the grantees within the State (other than Indian tribes), shall be allocated in each fiscal year, not less than 0.75 percent of the total amount appropriated in the fiscal year for grants pursuant to this section.

`(B) EXCEPTION- The United States Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands shall each be allocated not less than 0.25 percent of the total amount appropriated in the fiscal year for grants pursuant to this section.'.

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