[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 116 (Tuesday, September 26, 2000)]
[House]
[Pages H8086-H8105]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT OF 2000

  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 1248) to prevent violence against women, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                               H.R. 1248

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

       (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Violence 
     Against Women Act of 2000''.
       (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act 
     is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.

  TITLE I--CONTINUING THE COMMITMENT OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT

 Subtitle A--Law Enforcement and Prosecution Grants To Combat Violence 
                             Against Women

Sec. 101. Reauthorization.
Sec. 102. Technical amendments.
Sec. 103. State coalition grants.
Sec. 104. Full faith and credit enforcement of protection orders.
Sec. 105. Filing costs for criminal charges
Sec. 106. Elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

             Subtitle B--National Domestic Violence Hotline

Sec. 111. Reauthorization.
Sec. 112. Technical amendments.

           Subtitle C--Battered Women's Shelters and Services

Sec. 121. Short title.
Sec. 122. Authorization of appropriations for family violence 
              prevention and services.
Sec. 123. FVPSA improvements.
Sec. 124. Transitional housing assistance for victims of domestic 
              violence.

                   Subtitle D--Community Initiatives

Sec. 131. Grants for community initiatives.

   Subtitle E--Education and Training for Judges and Court Personnel

Sec. 141. Reauthorization.

            Subtitle F--Grants To Encourage Arrest Policies

Sec. 151. Reauthorization.
Sec. 152. Technical amendment.

    Subtitle G--Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement

Sec. 161. Reauthorization.
Sec. 162. Technical amendments.

      Subtitle H--National Stalker and Domestic Violence Reduction

Sec. 171. Technical amendments.
Sec. 172. Reauthorization.

                Subtitle I--Federal Victims' Counselors

Sec. 181. Reauthorization.

              Subtitle J--Victims of Child Abuse Programs

Sec. 191. Reauthorization of court-appointed special advocate program.
Sec. 192. Reauthorization of child abuse training programs for judicial 
              personnel and practitioners.
Sec. 193. Reauthorization of grants for televised testimony.
Sec. 194. Dissemination of information.

                  TITLE II--SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION

Sec. 201. Transfer of rape prevention and education program.
Sec. 202. Rape prevention education.
Sec. 203. Sexual assault and interpersonal violence; demonstration 
              projects.

              TITLE III--OTHER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAMS

       Subtitle A--Strengthening Services to Victims of Violence

Sec. 301. Civil legal assistance for victims.

        Subtitle B--Limiting the Effects of Violence on Children

Sec. 305. Safe havens for children pilot program.

   Subtitle C--Protections Against Violence and Abuse for Women with 
                              Disabilities

Sec. 310. Findings.
Sec. 311. Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.
Sec. 312. Violence Against Women Act.
Sec. 313. Grants for technical assistance.

   Subtitle D--Standards, Practice, and Training for Sexual Assault 
                              Examinations

Sec. 315. Short title.
Sec. 316. Standards, practice, and training for sexual assault forensic 
              examinations.

                Subtitle E--Domestic Violence Task Force

Sec. 320. Domestic Violence Task Force.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       (a) Domestic Violence.--
       (1) Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act.--Section 
     2003(1) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
     1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-2(1)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(1) the term `domestic violence' includes acts or threats 
     of violence, not including acts of self-defense, committed by 
     a current or former spouse of the victim, by a person with 
     whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is 
     cohabiting with or has cohabited with the victim, by a person 
     similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the 
     domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction, or by 
     any other person against a victim who is protected from that 
     person's acts under the domestic or family violence laws of 
     the jurisdiction;''.
       (2) Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act.--Section 
     2105(1) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
     1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796hh-4(1)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(1) the term `domestic violence' includes acts or threats 
     of violence, not including acts of self-defense, committed by 
     a current or former spouse of the victim, by a person with 
     whom the victim shares a child in common, by a person who is 
     cohabiting with or has cohabited with the victim, by a person 
     similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the 
     domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction, or by 
     any other person against a victim who is protected from that 
     person's acts under the domestic or family violence laws of 
     the jurisdiction; and''.
       (b) Indian Country.--Section 2003(2) of the Omnibus Crime 
     Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-2(1)) 
     is amended to read as follows:
       ``(2) the term `Indian country' has the same meaning as is 
     given such term by section 1151 of title 18, United States 
     Code;''.
       (c) Stalking.--Section 2003 of the Omnibus Crime Control 
     and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-2) is amended 
     by striking the period at the end of paragraph (8) and 
     inserting a semicolon and by adding after paragraph (8) the 
     following:
       ``(9) the term `stalking' means engaging in conduct that is 
     directed at an individual with the intent to injure and 
     harass the individual and which places the individual in 
     reasonable fear of the death of, or serious bodily injury to, 
     that individual, a member of that individual's immediate 
     family or that individual's intimate partner;''.
       (d) Underserved Populations.--Section 2003(7) of the 
     Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
     3796gg-2(7) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(7) the term `underserved populations' includes 
     populations underserved because of geographic location (such 
     as rural isolation), underserved racial and ethnic 
     populations, populations underserved because of special needs 
     (such as language barriers, disabilities, or age), and any 
     other population determined to be underserved by the State 
     planning process in consultation with the Attorney 
     General;''.
       (e) Domestic Violence Coalition.--Section 2003 of the 
     Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
     3796gg-2), as amended by subsection (c), is amended by adding 
     after paragraph (9) the following:
       ``(10) the term `domestic violence coalition' means a 
     statewide (except in the case of a coalition within lands 
     under tribal authority) nonprofit, nongovernmental membership 
     organization of a majority of domestic violence programs 
     within the State, commonwealth, territory, or lands under 
     military, Federal, or tribal authority that among other 
     activities provides training and technical assistance to 
     domestic violence programs within the State, commonwealth, 
     territory, or lands under military, Federal, or tribal 
     authority;''.

[[Page H8087]]

       (f) Sexual Assault Coalition.--Section 2003 of the Omnibus 
     Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-
     2), as amended by subsection (e), is amended by adding after 
     paragraph (10) the following:
       ``(11) the term `sexual assault coalition' means a 
     statewide (except in the case of a coalition within lands 
     under tribal authority) nonprofit, nongovernmental membership 
     organization of a majority of sexual assault programs within 
     the State, commonwealth, territory, or lands under military, 
     Federal, or tribal authority that among other activities 
     provides training and technical assistance to sexual assault 
     programs within the State, commonwealth, territory, or lands 
     under military, Federal, or tribal authority; and''.
       (g) Dating Violence.--
       (1) Section 2003.--Section 2003 of the Omnibus Crime 
     Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3996gg-2), as 
     amended by subsection (f), is amended by adding after 
     paragraph (11) the following:
       ``(12) The term `dating violence' means violence committed 
     by a person--
       ``(A) who is or has been in a social relationship of a 
     romantic or intimate nature with the victim; and
       ``(B) where the existence of such a relationship shall be 
     determined based on a consideration of the following factors:
       ``(i) the length of the relationship;
       ``(ii) the type of relationship; and
       ``(iii) the frequency of interaction between the persons 
     involved in the relationship.''.
       (2) Section 2105.--Section 2105 of the Omnibus Crime 
     Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796hh-4) is 
     amended by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (1), by 
     striking the period at the end of paragraph (2) and inserting 
     ``; and'', and by adding after paragraph (2) the following:
       ``(3) the term `dating violence' means violence committed 
     by a person--
       ``(A) who is or has been in a social relationship of a 
     romantic or intimate nature with the victim; and
       ``(B) where the existence of such a relationship shall be 
     determined based on a consideration of the following factors:
       ``(i) the length of the relationship;
       ``(ii) the type of relationship; and
       ``(iii) the frequency of interaction between the persons 
     involved in the relationship.''.

  TITLE I--CONTINUING THE COMMITMENT OF THE VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT

 Subtitle A--Law Enforcement and Prosecution Grants To Combat Violence 
                             Against Women

     SEC. 101. REAUTHORIZATION.

       Section 1001(a)(18) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
     Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3793(a)(18)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (E);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (F) 
     and inserting a semicolon; and
       (3) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following:
       ``(G) $185,000,000 for fiscal year 2001;
       ``(H) $185,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
       ``(I) $185,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
       ``(J) $195,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
       ``(K) $195,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.''.

     SEC. 102. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

       (a) Grant Allocation.--Section 2002(c)(3) of the Omnibus 
     Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-
     1(c)(3)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(3) at least 50 percent is allocated to grants for law 
     enforcement, prosecution, and State and local court systems 
     and at least 35 percent is allocated for victim services; 
     and''.
       (b) Reallotment.--Section 2002(e) of the Omnibus Crime 
     Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-1(e)) 
     is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
       ``(3) Reallotment of funds.--
       ``(A) If, at the end of the 9th month of any fiscal year 
     for which funds are appropriated under section 1001(a)(18), 
     the amounts made available are unspent or unobligated, such 
     unspent or unobligated funds shall be reallotted to the 
     current fiscal year recipients in the victim services area 
     pursuant to section 2002(c)(3) proportionate to their 
     original allotment for the current fiscal year.
       ``(B) For the first 2 fiscal years following the date of 
     the enactment of the Violence Against Women Act of 2000, the 
     Attorney General may waive the qualification requirements of 
     section 2002(c)(3), at the request of the State and with the 
     support of law enforcement, prosecution, and victim services 
     grantees currently funded under this section, if the 
     reallocation of funds among law enforcement, prosecution, 
     victim services, and State and local court systems mandated 
     by this Act adversely impacts victims of sexual assault, 
     domestic violence, and stalking, due to the reduction of 
     funds to programs and services funded under this section in 
     the prior fiscal year. Any waiver granted under this 
     subparagraph shall not diminish the allocation of any State 
     for victim services.''.
       (c) Expanded Grant Purposes.--Section 2001(b) of the 
     Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
     3796gg(b)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``sexual assault and 
     domestic violence'' and inserting ``sexual assault, domestic 
     violence, and dating violence'';
       (2) in paragraph (5), by striking ``sexual assault and 
     domestic violence'' and inserting ``sexual assault, domestic 
     violence, and dating violence'';
       (3) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (6); and
       (4) by redesignating paragraph (7) as paragraph (10) and by 
     inserting after paragraph (6) the following new paragraphs:
       ``(7) developing, enlarging, or strengthening State and 
     local court programs, including training for State, local, 
     and tribal judges and court personnel, addressing violent 
     crimes against women, including sexual assault, domestic 
     violence, and stalking;
       ``(8) training of sexual assault forensic medical personnel 
     examiners in the collection and preservation of evidence, 
     analysis, prevention, and providing expert testimony and 
     treatment of trauma related to sexual assault;
       ``(9) supporting the development of sexual assault response 
     teams to strengthen the investigation of sexual assaults and 
     coordinate services for victims of sexual assault; and''.
       (d) Monitoring and Compliance.--Section 2002 of the Omnibus 
     Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-
     1) is amended by redesignating subsections (e), (f), (g), and 
     (h) as subsections (f), (g), (h), and (i), respectively, and 
     by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
       ``(e) Monitoring and Compliance.--The Attorney General 
     shall deny applications--
       ``(1) that do not meet the requirements set forth in 
     subsections (c) and (d); and
       ``(2) for failure to provide documentation, including 
     memoranda of understanding, contract, or other documentation 
     of any collaborative efforts with other agencies or 
     organizations.''.
       (e) Victim Services.--Section 2003(8) of Omnibus Crime 
     Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-2(8)) 
     is amended by striking ``assisting domestic violence or 
     sexual assault victims through the legal process'' and 
     inserting ``providing advocacy and assistance for victims 
     seeking abuse-related health care services and legal and 
     social services, except that such term shall not include 
     programs or activities that are targeted primarily for 
     offenders''.
       (f) Indian tribal grants.--Section 2002(b)(1) of the 
     Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
     3796gg-1(b)(1)) is amended by striking ``4 percent'' and 
     inserting ``5 percent''.
       (g) Medical Cost Reimbursement.--Section 2005(b)(3) of the 
     Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
     3796gg-4(b)(3)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (C);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (D) 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by inserting after subparagraph (D) the following:
       ``(E) the reimbursement is not contingent upon the victim's 
     report of the sexual assault to law enforcement or upon the 
     victim's cooperation in the prosecution of the sexual 
     assault.''.
       (h) State and Local Courts.--Section 2002(a) of the Omnibus 
     Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-
     1(a)) is amended by inserting ``, State and local courts'' 
     after ``States'' the second time it appears.
       (i) Information Reporting.--Section 2001(b)(4) of the 
     Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
     3796gg(b)(4)) is amended by adding before the semicolon the 
     following: ``, including the reporting of such information to 
     the National Instant Criminal Background Check System''.

     SEC. 103. STATE COALITION GRANTS.

       Section 2001 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 
     Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg) is amended by inserting after 
     subsection (b) the following new subsection:
       ``(c) Grants.--
       ``(1) To coalitions.--The Attorney General shall make 
     grants to each of the State domestic violence and sexual 
     assault coalitions in the State for the purposes of 
     coordinating State victim services activities, and 
     collaborating and coordinating with Federal, State, and local 
     entities engaged in violence against women activities. In no 
     case will such awards preclude the State domestic violence 
     and sexual assault coalitions from receiving grants under 
     this part to fulfill the purposes described in subsections 
     (a) and (b).
       ``(2) Percent allocations.--Domestic violence coalitions 
     and sexual assault coalitions shall each receive not less 
     than two and one-half percent of the funds appropriated for a 
     fiscal year under section 1001(a)(18) for the purposes 
     described in paragraph (1).
       ``(3) Geographical Allotment.--
       ``(A) Amount.--The domestic violence and sexual assault 
     coalition in each State, the District of Columbia, the 
     Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the combined United States 
     Territories shall each receive an amount equal to \1/54\ of 
     the amount made available under paragraph (2). The combined 
     United States Territories shall not receive less than 1.5 
     percent of the funds made available under paragraph (2) for 
     each fiscal year and the tribal domestic violence and sexual 
     assault coalitions shall not receive less than 1.5 percent of 
     the funds made available under paragraph (2) for each fiscal 
     year.
       ``(B) Definition.--For the purposes of this section, the 
     term `combined United States Territories' means Guam, 
     American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, the 
     Northern Mariana Islands, and the Trust Territory of the 
     Pacific Islands.
       ``(C) Indians.--\1/54\ of the amount appropriated shall be 
     made available for development and operation of nonprofit 
     nongovernmental tribal domestic violence and sexual assault 
     coalitions in Indian country.

[[Page H8088]]

       ``(4) Disbursement of Geographical Allotments.--50 percent 
     of the \1/54\ allotted to each State, the District of 
     Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the combined United 
     States Territories, and Indian country under paragraph (3) 
     shall be made available to the domestic violence coalition as 
     defined in section 2003(10) of this Act and 50 percent shall 
     be made available to the sexual assault coalition as defined 
     in section 2003(11) of this Act; and
       ``(5) Component Eligibility.--In the case of combined 
     domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions, each 
     component shall be deemed eligible for the awards for sexual 
     assault and domestic violence activities, respectively.
       ``(6) Application.--In the application submitted by a 
     coalition for the grant, the coalition provides assurances 
     satisfactory to the Attorney General that the coalition--
       ``(A) has actively sought and encouraged the participation 
     of law enforcement agencies and other legal or judicial 
     entities in the preparation of the application; and
       ``(B) will actively seek and encourage the participation of 
     such entities in the activities carried out with the 
     grant.''.

     SEC. 104. FULL FAITH AND CREDIT ENFORCEMENT OF PROTECTION 
                   ORDERS.

       (a) In General.--Part U of title I of the Omnibus Crime 
     Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796hh et 
     seq.) is amended--
       (1) in the heading, by adding ``AND ENFORCEMENT OF 
     PROTECTION ORDERS'' at the end;
       (2) in section 2101(b)--
       (A) in paragraph (6), by inserting ``(including juvenile 
     courts)'' after ``courts''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(7) To provide technical assistance and computer and 
     other equipment to police departments, prosecutors, courts, 
     and tribal jurisdictions to facilitate the widespread 
     enforcement of protection orders, including interstate 
     enforcement, enforcement between States and tribal 
     jurisdictions, and enforcement between tribal 
     jurisdictions.''; and
       (3) in section 2102--
       (A) in subsection (b)--
       (i) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (ii) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting ``, including the enforcement of protection 
     orders from other States and jurisdictions (including tribal 
     jurisdictions);''; and
       (iii) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) have established cooperative agreements or can 
     demonstrate effective ongoing collaborative arrangements with 
     neighboring jurisdictions to facilitate the enforcement of 
     protection orders from other States and jurisdictions 
     (including tribal jurisdictions); and
       ``(4) will give priority to using the grant to develop and 
     install data collection and communication systems, including 
     computerized systems, and training on how to use these 
     systems effectively to link police, prosecutors, courts, and 
     tribal jurisdictions for the purpose of identifying and 
     tracking protection orders and violations of protection 
     orders, in those jurisdictions where such systems do not 
     exist or are not fully effective.''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Dissemination of Information.--The Attorney General 
     shall annually compile and broadly disseminate (including 
     through electronic publication) information about successful 
     data collection and communication systems that meet the 
     purposes described in this section. Such dissemination shall 
     target States, State and local courts, Indian tribal 
     governments, and units of local government.''.
       (b) Eligibility for grants to encourage arrest policies.--
       (1) In general.--Section 2101 of part U of title I of the 
     Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
     3796hh) is amended--
       (A) in subsection (c), by striking paragraph (4) and 
     inserting the following:
       ``(4) certify that their laws, policies, and practices do 
     not require, in connection with the prosecution of any 
     misdemeanor or felony domestic violence offense, or in 
     connection with the filing, issuance, registration, or 
     service of a protection order to protect a victim of domestic 
     violence, stalking, or sexual assault, that the victim bear 
     the costs associated with the filing of criminal charges 
     against the offender, or the costs associated with the 
     filing, issuance, registration, or service of a warrant, 
     protection order, or witness subpoena, whether issued inside 
     or outside the State, tribal, or local jurisdiction.''; and
       (B) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(d) Definition.--In this section, the term `protection 
     order' has the meaning given the term in section 2266 of 
     title 18, United States Code.''.
       (2) Application for grants to encourage arrest policies.--
     Section 2102(a)(1)(B) of part U of title I of the Omnibus 
     Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796hh-
     1(a)(1)(B)) is amended by striking ``2 years of the date of 
     enactment of this part'' and inserting ``the expiration of 
     the 1-year period beginning on the date of enactment of the 
     Violence Against Women Act of 2000''.

     SEC. 105. FILING COSTS FOR CRIMINAL CHARGES

       Section 2006 of part T of title I of the Omnibus Crime 
     Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-5) is 
     amended--
       (A) in the heading, by striking ``FILING'' and inserting 
     ``AND PROTECTION ORDERS'' after ``CHARGES'';
       (B) in subsection (a)--
       (i) by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following:
       ``(1) certifies that its laws, policies, and practices do 
     not require, in connection with the prosecution of any 
     misdemeanor or felony domestic violence offense, or in 
     connection with the filing, issuance, registration, or 
     service of a protection order to protect a victim of domestic 
     violence, stalking, or sexual assault, that the victim bear 
     the costs associated with the filing of criminal charges 
     against the offender, or the costs associated with the 
     filing, issuance, registration, or service of a warrant, 
     civil or criminal protection order, or witness subpoena, 
     whether issued inside or outside the State, tribal, or local 
     jurisdiction; or''; and
       (ii) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ``2 years'' and 
     inserting ``1 year after the date of enactment of the 
     Violence Against Women Act of 2000''; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(c) Definition.--In this section, the term `protection 
     order' has the meaning given the term in section 2266 of 
     title 18, United States Code.''.

     SEC. 106. ELDER ABUSE, NEGLECT, AND EXPLOITATION.

       The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (108 Stat. 1902) is 
     amended by adding at the end the following:

    ``Subtitle H--Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation, Including 
    Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Against Older or Disabled 
                              Individuals

     ``SEC. 40801. DEFINITIONS.

       ``In this subtitle:
       ``(1) In general.--The terms `elder abuse, neglect, and 
     exploitation', and `older individual' have the meanings given 
     the terms in section 102 of the Older Americans Act of 1965 
     (42 U.S.C. 3002).
       ``(2) Domestic violence.--The term `domestic violence' has 
     the meaning given such term by section 2105 of the Omnibus 
     Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796hh-
     4).
       ``(3) Sexual assault.--The term `sexual assault' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 2003 of the Omnibus Crime 
     Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-2).

     ``SEC. 40802. LAW SCHOOL CLINICAL PROGRAMS ON ELDER ABUSE, 
                   NEGLECT, AND EXPLOITATION.

       ``The Attorney General shall make grants to law school 
     clinical programs for the purposes of funding the inclusion 
     of cases addressing issues of elder abuse, neglect, and 
     exploitation, including domestic violence and sexual assault, 
     against older or disabled individuals.

     ``SEC. 40803. TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.

       ``The Attorney General shall develop curricula and offer, 
     or provide for the offering of, training programs to assist 
     law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and relevant officers 
     of Federal, State, and local courts in recognizing, 
     addressing, investigating, and prosecuting instances of elder 
     abuse, neglect, and exploitation, including domestic violence 
     and sexual assault, against older or disabled individuals.

     ``SEC. 40804. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       ``There are authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000 for 
     each of the fiscal years 2001 through 2005 to carry out this 
     subtitle.''.

             Subtitle B--National Domestic Violence Hotline

     SEC. 111. REAUTHORIZATION.

       Section 316(f)(1) of the Family Violence Prevention and 
     Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10416(f)(1)) is amended to read as 
     follows:
       ``(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
     to carry out the purposes of this section--
       ``(A) $1,600,000 for fiscal year 2001;
       ``(B) $1,800,000 for fiscal year 2002;
       ``(C) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2003; and
       ``(D) $2,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.''.

     SEC. 112. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

       Section 316 of the Family Violence Prevention and Services 
     Act (42 U.S.C. 10416) is amended by redesignating subsection 
     (f) as subsection (g) and by inserting after subsection (e) 
     the following:
       ``(f) Reports.--Within 90 days after the date of the 
     enactment of the Violence Against Women Act of 2000, all 
     entities receiving funds pursuant to activities under 
     subsection (a) shall prepare and submit a report to the 
     Secretary that evaluates the effectiveness of the use of 
     amounts received under such grants by such grantee and 
     containing such other information as the Secretary may 
     prescribe. The Secretary shall publish any such reports and 
     provide at least 90 days for notice and opportunity for 
     public comment prior to awarding or renewing any such 
     grants.''.

           Subtitle C--Battered Women's Shelters and Services

     SEC. 121. SHORT TITLE.

       This subtitle may be cited as the ``Battered Women's 
     Shelters and Services Act''.

     SEC. 122. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS FOR FAMILY VIOLENCE 
                   PREVENTION AND SERVICES.

       Section 310(a) of the Family Violence Prevention and 
     Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10409(a)) is amended to read as 
     follows:
       ``(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
     to carry out this title (other than section 316)--
       ``(1) $120,000,000 for fiscal year 2001;
       ``(2) $160,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
       ``(3) $200,000,000 for fiscal year 2003; and
       ``(4) $260,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.''.

[[Page H8089]]

     SEC. 123. FVPSA IMPROVEMENTS.

       (a) Reallotment of Funds.--Section 304(d) of the Family 
     Violence Prevention and Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10403(d)) is 
     amended--
       (1) by inserting after ``to such State in grants under 
     section 303(a)'' the following: ``or Indian tribe or tribal 
     organization under section 303(b)'';
       (2) by inserting after ``failure of such State'' the 
     following: ``or Indian tribe or tribal organization, or other 
     entity'';
       (3) by inserting after ``such amount to States'' the 
     following: ``and Indian tribes and tribal organizations'';
       (4) by inserting after ``which meet such requirements'' the 
     following: ``proportionate to the original allocation made 
     under subsection (a) or (b) of section 303, respectively''; 
     and
       (5) by redesignating paragraph (2) as paragraph (3) and 
     adding after paragraph (1) the following:
       ``(2) If, at the end of the sixth month of any fiscal year 
     for which sums are appropriated under section 310, the amount 
     allotted to an entity has not been made available to such 
     entity in grants under sections 308 and 311 because of the 
     failure of such entity to meet the requirements for a grant 
     or because the limitation on expenditure has been reached, 
     then the Secretary shall reallot such amount to States and 
     Indian tribes and tribal organizations that meet such 
     requirements proportionate to the original allocation under 
     subsection (a) or (b) of section 303, respectively.''
       (b) Tribal Domestic Violence Coalitions.--Section 303(b) of 
     the Family Violence Prevention Services Act (42 U.S.C. 
     10402(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(4) From the amounts made available under paragraph (1), 
     there shall be awarded by the Secretary not less than 5 
     percent of such amounts for the funding of tribal domestic 
     violence coalitions. To be eligible for a grant under this 
     paragraph, an entity shall be a private nonprofit coalition 
     whose membership includes representatives from a majority of 
     the programs for victims of domestic violence operating 
     within the boundaries of an Indian reservation and programs 
     whose primary purpose is serving the populations of such 
     Indian country and whose board membership is representative 
     of such programs. Such coalitions shall further the purposes 
     of domestic violence intervention and prevention through 
     activities including--
       ``(A) training and technical assistance for local Indian 
     domestic violence programs and providers of direct services 
     to encourage appropriate responses to domestic violence in 
     Indian country;
       ``(B) planning and conducting needs assessments and 
     planning for comprehensive services in Indian country;
       ``(C) serving as an information clearinghouse and resource 
     center for the Indian reservation represented by the 
     coalition receiving these funds;
       ``(D) collaborating with Indian, State, and Federal 
     governmental systems which affect battered women in Indian 
     country, including judicial and law enforcement and child 
     protective services agencies, to encourage appropriate 
     responses to domestic violence cases;
       ``(E) conducting public education and outreach activities 
     addressing domestic violence in Indian country;
       ``(F) collaborating with State domestic violence coalitions 
     in the areas described above; and
       ``(G) participating in planning and monitoring of the 
     distribution of grants and grant funds to the Indian 
     reservation and tribal organizations under paragraph (1).''

     SEC. 124. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS OF 
                   DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.

       Part T of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 
     1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
     end the following:

     ``SEC. 2007. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE.

       ``(a) In General.--The Attorney General shall award grants 
     to States, units of local government, and Indian tribes under 
     this section to carry out programs to provide assistance to 
     individuals and their dependents--
       ``(1) who are homeless or in need of transitional housing 
     or other housing assistance, as a result of fleeing domestic 
     violence; and
       ``(2) for whom emergency shelter services are unavailable 
     or insufficient.
       ``(b) Assistance Described.--Assistance provided under this 
     section may include--
       ``(1) short-term housing assistance, including rental or 
     utilities payments assistance, where such assistance is 
     necessary to prevent homelessness due to fleeing domestic 
     violence; and
       ``(2) short-term support services, including expenses and 
     costs associated with transportation and job training 
     referrals, child care, counseling, transitional housing 
     identification and placement, and related expenses such as 
     utility or security deposits and other costs incidental to 
     relocation to transitional housing.
       ``(c) Term of Assistance.--An individual or family assisted 
     under this section may not receive transitional housing 
     assistance for a total of more than 12 months.
       ``(d) Reports.--
       ``(1) Report to attorney general.--
       ``(A) In general.--An entity that receives a grant under 
     this section shall annually prepare and submit to the 
     Attorney General a report describing the number of 
     individuals and dependents assisted, and the types of housing 
     assistance and support services provided, under this section.
       ``(B) Contents.--Each report shall include information on--
       ``(i) the purpose and amount of housing assistance provided 
     to each individual or dependent assisted under this section;
       ``(ii) the number of months each individual or dependent 
     received the assistance;
       ``(iii) the number of individuals and dependents who were 
     eligible to receive the assistance, and to whom the entity 
     could not provide the assistance solely due to a lack of 
     available housing; and
       ``(iv) the type of support services provided to each 
     individual or dependent assisted under this section.
       ``(2) Report to congress.--The Attorney General 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 reports submitted under 
     paragraph (1).
       ``(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated from the Violent Crime 
     Reduction Trust Fund established under section 310001 of the 
     Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (42 
     U.S.C. 14211) to carry out this section--
       ``(1) $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2001 through 
     2003; and
       ``(2) $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2004 and 
     2005.''.

                   Subtitle D--Community Initiatives

     SEC. 131. GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY INITIATIVES.

       (a) Authorization.--Section 318(h) of the Family Violence 
     Prevention and Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10418(h)) is amended 
     to read as follows:
       ``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are 
     authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section--
       ``(1) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2001;
       ``(2) $9,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
       ``(3) $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2003; and
       ``(4) $11,000,000 for fiscal year 2004.''.
       (b) Information.--Subsection (i) of section 318 of the 
     Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10418) 
     is amended by inserting the text of the subsection as a cut-
     in paragraph (1) with the heading ``In general.--'' and by 
     adding at the end the following:
       ``(2) Information.--The Secretary shall annually compile 
     and broadly disseminate (including through electronic 
     publication) information about the use of funds and about the 
     projects funded under this section, including any evaluations 
     of the projects and information to enable replication and 
     adoption of the strategies identified in the projects. Such 
     dissemination shall target other community-based programs, 
     including domestic violence and sexual assault programs.''.

   Subtitle E--Education and Training for Judges and Court Personnel

     SEC. 141. REAUTHORIZATION.

       (a) Grants for Education and Training for Judges and Court 
     Personnel in State Courts.--
       (1) Section 40412.--Section 40412 of the Equal Justice for 
     Women in the Courts Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13992) is 
     amended--
       (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (18);
       (B) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (19) and 
     inserting a semicolon; and
       (C) by inserting after paragraph (19) the following:
       ``(20) the issues raised by domestic violence in 
     determining custody and visitation, including how to protect 
     the safety of the child and of a parent who is not a 
     predominant aggressor of domestic violence, the legitimate 
     reasons parents may report domestic violence, the ways 
     domestic violence may relate to an abuser's desire to seek 
     custody, and evaluating expert testimony in custody and 
     visitation determinations involving domestic violence;
       ``(21) the issues raised by child sexual assault in 
     determining custody and visitation, including how to protect 
     the safety of the child, the legitimate reasons parents may 
     report child sexual assault, and evaluating expert testimony 
     in custody and visitation determinations involving child 
     sexual assault, including the current scientifically-accepted 
     and empirically valid research on child sexual assault;
       ``(22) the extent to which addressing domestic violence and 
     victim safety contributes to the efficient administration of 
     justice;''.
       (2) Section 40414.--Section 40414(a) of the Equal Justice 
     for Women in the Courts Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13994(a)) is 
     amended by inserting ``and $1,500,000 for each of the fiscal 
     years 2001 through 2005'' after ``1996''.
       (b) Grants for Education and Training for Judges and Court 
     Personnel in Federal Courts.--
       (1) Section 40421.--Section 40421(d) of the Equal Justice 
     for Women in the Courts Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14001(d)) is 
     amended to read as follows:
       ``(d) Continuing Education and Training Programs.--The 
     Federal Judicial Center, in carrying out section 620(b)(3) of 
     title 28, United States Code, shall include in the 
     educational programs it prepares, including the training 
     programs for newly appointed judges, information on the 
     aspects of the topics listed in section 40412 that pertain to 
     issues within the jurisdiction of the Federal

[[Page H8090]]

     courts, and shall prepare materials necessary to implement 
     this subsection.''.
       (2) Section 40422.--Section 40422(2) of the Equal Justice 
     for Women in the Courts Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14002(2)) is 
     amended by inserting ``and $500,000 for each of the fiscal 
     years 2001 through 2005'' after ``1996''.
       (c) Technical Amendments to the Equal Justice for Women in 
     the Courts Act of 1994.--
       (1) Ensuring collaboration with domestic violence and 
     sexual assault programs.--Section 40413 of the Equal Justice 
     for Women in the Courts Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13993) is 
     amended by adding ``, including national, State, tribal, and 
     local domestic violence and sexual assault programs and 
     coalitions'' after ``victim advocates''.
       (2) Participation of tribal courts in state training and 
     education programs.--Section 40411 of the Equal Justice for 
     Women in the Courts Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13991) is amended 
     by adding at the end the following: ``Nothing shall preclude 
     the attendance of tribal judges and court personnel at 
     programs funded under this section for States to train judges 
     and court personnel on the laws of the States.''
       (3) Use of funds for dissemination of model programs.--
     Section 40414 of the Equal Justice for Women in the Courts 
     Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13994) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:
       ``(c) State Justice Institute.--The State Justice Institute 
     may use up to 5 percent of the funds appropriated under this 
     section for annually compiling and broadly disseminating 
     (including through electronic publication) information about 
     the use of funds and about the projects funded under this 
     section, including any evaluations of the projects and 
     information to enable the replication and adoption of the 
     projects.''.
       (d) Dating Violence.--
       (1) Section 40411.--Section 40411 of the Equal Justice for 
     Women in Courts Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C 13991) is amended by 
     inserting ``dating violence,'' after ``domestic violence,''.
       (2) Section 40412.--Section 40412 of such Act (42 U.S.C 
     13992) is amended--
       (A) in paragraph (10), by inserting ``and dating violence'' 
     before the semicolon;
       (B) in paragraph (11), by inserting ``and dating'' after 
     ``domestic'';
       (C) in paragraph (13), by inserting ``and dating'' after 
     ``domestic'' in both places that it appears;
       (D) in paragraph (17) by inserting ``or dating'' after 
     ``domestic'' in both places that it appears; and
       (E) in paragraph (18), by inserting ``and dating'' after 
     ``domestic''.

            Subtitle F--Grants To Encourage Arrest Policies

     SEC. 151. REAUTHORIZATION.

       Section 1001(a)(19) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
     Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3793(a)(19)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (B);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (C) 
     and inserting a semicolon; and
       (3) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:
       ``(D) $63,000,000 for fiscal year 2001;
       ``(E) $67,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
       ``(F) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
       ``(G) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
       ``(H) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.''.

     SEC. 152. TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.

       Section 2101 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 
     Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796hh) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (b)(2), by inserting ``and dating'' after 
     ``domestic'';
       (2) in subsection (b)(5), by inserting ``and dating'' after 
     ``domestic''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:.
       ``(e) Disbursement.--At least 5 percent of the funds 
     appropriated under 1001(a)(19) shall be used for grants to 
     Indian tribal governments.''.

    Subtitle G--Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement

     SEC. 161. REAUTHORIZATION.

       Section 40295(c)(1) of the Safe Homes for Women Act of 1994 
     (42 U.S.C. 13971(c)(1)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (B);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (C) 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:
       ``(D) $35,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001, 2002, 
     2003, 2004, and 2005.''.

     SEC. 162. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

       Section 40295 of the Safe Homes for Women Act of 1994 (42 
     U.S.C. 13971) is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ``and dating'' after 
     ``domestic'';
       (2) in subsection (a)(2), by inserting ``and dating'' after 
     ``domestic''; and
       (3) in subsection (c), by adding at the end the following:.
       ``(3) Disbursement.--At least 5 percent of the funds 
     appropriated under paragraph (1) shall be used for grants to 
     Indian tribal governments.''.

      Subtitle H--National Stalker and Domestic Violence Reduction

     SEC. 171. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.

       Section 40602(a) of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 
     (42 U.S.C. 14031(a)) is amended by inserting ``and 
     implement'' after ``improve''.

     SEC. 172. REAUTHORIZATION.

       Section 40603 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 
     U.S.C. 14032) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (2);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (3) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
       ``(4) $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001, 2002, 
     2003, 2004, and 2005.''.

                Subtitle I--Federal Victims' Counselors

     SEC. 181. REAUTHORIZATION.

       The text of section 40114 of the Safe Streets for Women Act 
     of 1994 is amended to read as follows: ``There are authorized 
     to be appropriated for the United States Attorneys for the 
     purpose of appointing Victim/Witness Counselors for the 
     prosecution of domestic violence and sexual assault crimes 
     where applicable (such as the District of Columbia) 
     $1,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001, 2002, 2003, 
     2004, and 2005.''.

              Subtitle J--Victims of Child Abuse Programs

     SEC. 191. REAUTHORIZATION OF COURT-APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATE 
                   PROGRAM.

       Section 218(a) of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 
     (42 U.S.C. 13014(a)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (4);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (5) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
       ``(6) $12,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001, 2002, 
     2003, and 2004.''

     SEC. 192. REAUTHORIZATION OF CHILD ABUSE TRAINING PROGRAMS 
                   FOR JUDICIAL PERSONNEL AND PRACTITIONERS.

       Section 224(a) of the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 
     (42 U.S.C. 13024(a)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (4);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of paragraph (5) and 
     inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (5) the following:
       ``(6) $2,300,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001, 2002, 
     2003, and 2004.''.

     SEC. 193. REAUTHORIZATION OF GRANTS FOR TELEVISED TESTIMONY.

       Section 1001(a)(7) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control 
     and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3793(a)(7)) is 
     amended--
       (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (D);
       (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (E) 
     and inserting ``; and''; and
       (3) by inserting after subparagraph (E) the following:
       ``(F) $1,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001, 2002, 
     2003, 2004, and 2005.''.

     SEC. 194. DISSEMINATION OF INFORMATION.

       Section 40156 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 is 
     amended by inserting at the end the following:
       ``(d) Information.--The Attorney General shall annually 
     compile and broadly disseminate (including through electronic 
     publication) information about the use of funds and about the 
     projects funded under this section, including any evaluations 
     of the projects and information to enable replication and 
     adoption of the strategies identified in the projects. Such 
     dissemination shall target community-based programs, 
     including domestic violence and sexual assault programs.''.

                  TITLE II--SEXUAL ASSAULT PREVENTION

     SEC. 201. TRANSFER OF RAPE PREVENTION AND EDUCATION PROGRAM.

       Part J of title III of the Public Health Service Act is 
     amended by inserting after section 393A the following new 
     section:

     ``SEC. 393B. USE OF ALLOTMENTS FOR RAPE PREVENTION EDUCATION.

       ``(a) Grants.--
       ``(1) Permitted use.--Notwithstanding section 1904(a)(1), 
     amounts transferred by the State for use under this part 
     shall be used for rape prevention and education programs 
     conducted by rape crisis centers and private nonprofit 
     nongovernmental State and tribal sexual assault coalitions 
     for--
       ``(A) educational seminars;
       ``(B) the operation of hotlines;
       ``(C) training programs for professionals;
       ``(D) the preparation of informational material; and
       ``(E) other efforts to increase awareness of the facts 
     about, or to help prevent, sexual assault, including efforts 
     to increase awareness in underserved populations (as defined 
     in section 2003(7) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
     Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-2(7)).
       ``(2) Terms.--
       ``(A) Populations.--The Secretary shall make grants under 
     subsection (a) to each State on the basis of the population 
     of the State.
       ``(B) Rape prevention and education programs.--No State may 
     use funds made available by reason of paragraph (1) in any 
     fiscal year for administration of any prevention program 
     other than the rape prevention and education program for 
     which grants are made under paragraph (1).
       ``(C) Availability.--Any amount paid to a State for a 
     fiscal year and remaining unobligated at the end of such year 
     shall remain available for the next fiscal year to such State 
     for the purposes for which it was made.
       ``(D) Administrative and technical assistance.--The 
     Secretary shall use not more than 5 percent of the funds 
     available under paragraph (1) for the purposes of 
     administrative and technical assistance.
       ``(E) Targeting of education programs.--States receiving 
     grant moneys under paragraph (1) shall ensure that at least 
     25 percent

[[Page H8091]]

     of the moneys are devoted to educational programs targeted 
     for middle school, junior high, and high school aged 
     students. The programs targeted under this subsection shall 
     be conducted by rape crisis centers and State and tribal 
     sexual assault coalitions.
       ``(b) National Resource Center.--
       ``(1) Establishment.--At such time as appropriations under 
     subsection (c) reach at least $80,000,000, the Secretary of 
     Health and Human Services shall, through the National Center 
     for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease 
     Control and Prevention, establish a National Resource Center 
     on Sexual Assault to provide resource information, policy, 
     training, and technical assistance to Federal, State, and 
     Indian tribal agencies, as well as to State and tribal sexual 
     assault coalitions and local sexual assault programs and to 
     other professionals and interested parties on issues relating 
     to sexual assault. The Resource Center shall maintain a 
     central resource library in order to collect, prepare, 
     analyze, and disseminate information and statistics and 
     analyses thereof relating to the incidence and prevention of 
     sexual assault.
       ``(2) Eligible organizations.--The Secretary shall award a 
     grant under paragraph (1) to a private nonprofit organization 
     which can--
       ``(A) demonstrate that it has recognized expertise in the 
     area of sexual assault and a record of high-quality services 
     to victims of sexual assault, including a demonstration of 
     support from advocacy groups, such as State and tribal sexual 
     assault coalitions or recognized national sexual assault 
     groups; and
       ``(B) demonstrate a commitment to diversity and to the 
     provision of services to underserved populations as defined 
     in section 2003(7) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
     Street Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-2(7)).
       ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--
       ``(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
     to carry out this section--
       ``(A) $80,000,000 for fiscal year 2001;
       ``(B) $105,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
       ``(C) $105,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
       ``(D) $155,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
       ``(E) $155,000,000 for fiscal year 2005.

     Funds authorized to be appropriated under this section are 
     appropriated from the Violent Crime Reduction Fund pursuant 
     to section 310001(c) of the Violent Crime Control and Law 
     Enforcement Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14211(c)) and paragraph 
     (16) under the definition of prevention program in section 
     310004(d) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 14214(d)).
       ``(2) Sexual assault coalitions.--At such time as 
     appropriations under subsection (c) reach at least 
     $80,000,000, the Secretary shall designate 15 percent of the 
     total amount appropriated to be used for making grants to 
     nonprofit, nongovernmental State sexual assault coalitions to 
     address public health issues associated with sexual assault 
     through training, resource development, or similar research.
       ``(3) Indian country.--At such time as the appropriations 
     under subsection (c) reach at least $80,000,000, there shall 
     be awarded by the Secretary not less than 5 percent of such 
     amounts for the funding of tribal sexual assault coalitions. 
     To be eligible for a grant under this paragraph, an entity 
     shall be a private nonprofit coalition whose membership 
     includes representatives from a majority of the programs for 
     adult and child victims of sexual assault operating within 
     the boundaries of such Indian country and programs whose 
     primary purpose is serving the population of an Indian 
     reservation, and whose board membership is representative of 
     such programs. Such coalitions shall further the purposes of 
     sexual assault intervention and prevention through activities 
     including--
       ``(A) training and technical assistance for local Indian 
     sexual assault programs and providers of direct services to 
     encourage appropriate responses to sexual assault in Indian 
     country;
       ``(B) planning and conducting needs assessments and 
     planning for comprehensive services in Indian country;
       ``(C) serving as an information clearinghouse and resource 
     center for any Indian reservation represented by the 
     coalition receiving these funds;
       ``(D) collaborating with Indian, State, and Federal systems 
     which affect adult and child victims of sexual assault in 
     Indian country, including judicial, law enforcement, and 
     child protective services agencies, to encourage appropriate 
     responses to sexual assault cases;
       ``(E) conducting public education and outreach activities 
     addressing sexual assault in Indian country;
       ``(F) collaborating with sexual assault coalitions in the 
     areas described above; and
       ``(G) participating in planning and monitoring of the 
     distribution of grants and grant funds to Indian reservation 
     and tribal organizations under this section.
       ``(4) Subsection (b) allotment.--Of the amount appropriated 
     for any fiscal year under this section, at least $1,000,000 
     shall be made available for grants under subsection (b), with 
     yearly increases of at least 10 percent of the prior year's 
     allotment.
       ``(d) Limitations.--
       ``(1) A State may use funds under subsection (a) only so as 
     to supplement and, to the extent practicable, increase the 
     level of funds that would be available from non-Federal 
     sources for the activities described in subsection (a), and 
     in no case may such funds be used to supplant funds from 
     other sources.
       ``(2) A State may not use more than 2 percent of the funds 
     received in each fiscal year under this section for 
     surveillance studies or prevalence studies and funds for such 
     studies shall be available only at such time as 
     appropriations under subsection (c) reach at least 
     $80,000,000.
       ``(3) A State may not use more than 5 percent of funds 
     received in each fiscal year under subsection (a) for 
     administrative expenses.
       ``(e) Definitions.--
       ``(1) Indian country.--The term `Indian Country' has the 
     same meaning as is given such term by section 1151 of title 
     18, United States Code.
       ``(2) Rape prevention and education.--For purposes of this 
     section, the term `rape prevention and education' includes 
     education and prevention efforts directed at sexual offenses 
     committed by offenders who are not known to the victim as 
     well as offenders who are known to the victim.
       ``(3) Sexual assault.--The term `sexual assault' means any 
     conduct proscribed by chapter 109A of title 18, United States 
     Code, whether or not the conduct occurs in the special 
     maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or 
     in a Federal prison and includes both assaults committed by 
     offenders who are strangers to the victim and assaults 
     committed by offenders who are known to the victim or related 
     by blood or marriage to the victim.
       ``(4) Rape crisis center.--The term `rape crisis center' 
     means a private, nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that 
     is organized, or has as one of its primary purposes, to 
     provide services for victims of sexual assault and has a 
     record of commitment and demonstrated experience in providing 
     services to victims of sexual assault.
       ``(5) Sexual assault program.--The term `sexual assault 
     program' means a private, nonprofit, nongovernmental 
     organization that is organized, or has as one of its primary 
     purposes, to provide services for victims of sexual assault 
     and has a record of commitment and demonstrated experience in 
     providing services to victims of sexual assault.
       ``(6) Sexual assault coalition.--The term `sexual assault 
     coalition' means a coalition that coordinates State victim 
     service activities, and collaborates and coordinates with 
     Federal, State, and local entities to further the purposes of 
     sexual assault intervention and prevention.''.

     SEC. 202. RAPE PREVENTION EDUCATION.

       (a) Repeal.--The section added by section 40151 of the 
     Violence Against Women Act of 1994 is repealed.
       (b) Effective Date.--The repeal made by subsection (a) of 
     this section shall take effect the day after the date of 
     enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 203. SEXUAL ASSAULT AND INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE; 
                   DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.

       (a) Demonstration Projects.--Section 393 of the Public 
     Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280b-1a) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
       (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following 
     subsection:
       ``(b)(1) With respect to all victims of sexual assault and 
     interpersonal violence who present at hospital emergency 
     rooms and other sites offering services to such victims, 
     demonstration projects under subsection (a)(6) shall include 
     projects in which, on a 24-hour basis, nurses and other 
     health care professionals at such rooms and sites who are 
     trained in accordance with protocols under paragraph (2)--
       ``(A) identify victims of such violence;
       ``(B) collect physical evidence from the victims that may 
     be of use in judicial proceedings regarding the violence; and
       ``(C) provide information and appropriate referrals to rape 
     crisis center programs and victim service providers, 
     including referrals to health-related services and social 
     services.
       ``(2) In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 
     carry out a program to train nurses and other health care 
     professionals to provide the services described in such 
     paragraph. The program shall develop a protocol for such 
     training.''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     to section 393 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
     280b-1a) shall apply to demonstration projects funded under 
     subsection (a)(6) of such Act which are ongoing on the date 
     of the enactment of this Act.

              TITLE III--OTHER DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PROGRAMS

       Subtitle A--Strengthening Services to Victims of Violence

     SEC. 301. CIVIL LEGAL ASSISTANCE FOR VICTIMS.

       (a) In General.--The purpose of this section is to enable 
     the Attorney General to award grants to increase the 
     availability of civil legal assistance necessary to provide 
     effective aid to victims of domestic violence, dating 
     violence, stalking, or sexual assault who are seeking relief 
     in legal matters arising as a consequence of that abuse or 
     violence, at minimal or no cost to the victims.
       (b) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) Domestic violence.--The term ``domestic violence'' has 
     the meaning given the term in section 2003 of title I of the 
     Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
     3796gg-2).
       (2) Dating violence.--The term ``dating violence'' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 2003 of title I of the 
     Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
     3796gg-2).

[[Page H8092]]

       (3) Civil legal assistance for victims.--The term ``civil 
     legal assistance'' includes legal assistance to victims of 
     domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, and sexual 
     assault in any administrative, civil, judicial, family, or 
     immigration proceeding. No funds made available under this 
     section may be used to provide financial assistance in 
     support of any litigation described in paragraph (14) of 
     section 504(a) of Public Law 104-134.
       (4) Sexual assault.--The term ``sexual assault'' has the 
     meaning given the term in section 2003 of title I of the 
     Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
     3796gg-2).
       (c) Legal Assistance for Victims Grants.--The Attorney 
     General may award grants under this subsection to private 
     nonprofit entities, Indian tribal governments, tribally 
     recognized organizations, qualified Legal Services 
     Corporation grantees, other voluntary legal services 
     organizations, and publicly funded organizations not acting 
     in a governmental capacity such as law schools, and which 
     shall be used--
       (1) to implement, expand, and establish cooperative efforts 
     and projects between domestic violence and sexual assault 
     victim services organizations and legal assistance providers 
     to provide legal assistance for victims of domestic violence, 
     stalking, and sexual assault;
       (2) to implement, expand, and establish efforts and 
     projects to provide legal assistance for victims of domestic 
     violence, stalking, and sexual assault by organizations with 
     a demonstrated history of providing direct legal or advocacy 
     services on behalf of these victims; and
       (3) to provide training, technical assistance, and data 
     collection to improve the capacity of grantees and other 
     entities to offer legal assistance to victims of domestic 
     violence, stalking, and sexual assault.
       (d) To be eligible for a grant under subsection (c), 
     applicants shall certify in writing that--
       (1) any person providing civil legal assistance through a 
     program funded under subsection (c) has completed or will 
     complete training in connection with domestic violence or 
     sexual assault and related legal issues;
       (2) any training program conducted in satisfaction of the 
     requirement of paragraph (1) has been or will be developed 
     with input from and in collaboration with a State, local, or 
     tribal domestic violence or sexual assault program or 
     coalition, as well as appropriate State and local law 
     enforcement officials;
       (3) any person or organization providing civil legal 
     assistance through a program funded under subsection (c) has 
     informed and will continue to inform State, local, or tribal 
     domestic violence or sexual assault programs and coalitions, 
     as well as appropriate State and local law enforcement 
     officials of their work; and
       (4) the grantee's organizational policies do not require 
     mediation or counseling involving offenders and victims 
     physically together, in cases where sexual assault, domestic 
     violence, or child sexual abuse is an issue.
       (e) Evaluation.--The Attorney General may evaluate the 
     grants funded under this section through contracts or other 
     arrangements with entities expert on domestic violence, 
     stalking, and sexual assault, and on evaluation research.
       (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--
       (1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated 
     from the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund established under 
     section 310001 of the Violent Crime Control and Law 
     Enforcement Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14211) to carry out this 
     section--
       (A) $35,250,000 for fiscal year 2001;
       (B) $40,000,000 for fiscal year 2002;
       (C) $45,000,000 for fiscal year 2003;
       (D) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2004; and
       (E) $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2005;
       (2) Allocation of funds.--
       (A) Tribal programs.--Of the amount made available under 
     this subsection in each fiscal year, not less than 5 percent 
     shall be used for grants for programs that assist victims of 
     domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault on lands 
     within the jurisdiction of an Indian tribe.
       (B) Victims of sexual assault.--Not less than 25 percent of 
     the funds used for direct services, training, and technical 
     assistance shall be used to support projects focused solely 
     or primarily on civil legal assistance for victims of sexual 
     assault.
       (3) Nonsupplantation.--Amounts made available under this 
     section shall be used to supplement and not supplant other 
     Federal, State, and local funds expended to further the 
     purpose of this section.

        Subtitle B--Limiting the Effects of Violence on Children

     SEC. 305. SAFE HAVENS FOR CHILDREN PILOT PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General may award grants to 
     States, units of local government, and Indian tribal 
     governments that propose to enter into or expand the scope of 
     existing contracts and cooperative agreements with public or 
     private nonprofit entities to provide supervised visitation 
     and safe visitation exchange of children by and between 
     parents in cases of domestic violence, child abuse, or sexual 
     assault.
       (b) Considerations.--In awarding grants under subsection 
     (a), the Attorney General shall take into account--
       (1) the number of families to be served by the proposed 
     visitation programs and services;
       (2) the extent to which the proposed supervised visitation 
     programs and services serve underserved populations (as 
     defined in section 2003 of title I of the Omnibus Crime 
     Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-2));
       (3) with respect to an applicant for a contract or 
     cooperative agreement, the extent to which the applicant 
     demonstrates cooperation and collaboration with nonprofit, 
     nongovernmental entities in the local community served, 
     including the State domestic violence coalition, State sexual 
     assault coalition, local shelters, and programs for domestic 
     violence and sexual assault victims; and
       (4) the extent to which the applicant demonstrates 
     coordination and collaboration with State and local court 
     systems, including mechanisms for communication and referral.
       (c) Applicant Requirements.--The Attorney General shall 
     award grants for contracts and cooperative agreements to 
     applicants that--
       (1) demonstrate expertise in the area of family violence, 
     including the areas of domestic violence or sexual assault, 
     as appropriate;
       (2) ensure that any fees charged to individuals for use of 
     programs and services are based on the income of those 
     individuals, unless otherwise provided by court order;
       (3) demonstrate that adequate security measures, including 
     adequate facilities, procedures, and personnel capable of 
     preventing violence, are in place for the operation of 
     supervised visitation programs and services or safe 
     visitation exchange; and
       (4) prescribe standards by which the supervised visitation 
     or safe visitation exchange will occur.
       (d) Reporting.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the last day 
     of the first fiscal year commencing on or after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, and not later than 180 days after the 
     last day of each fiscal year thereafter, the Attorney General 
     shall submit to Congress a report that includes information 
     concerning--
       (A) the number of--
       (i) individuals served and the number of individuals turned 
     away from visitation programs and services and safe 
     visitation exchange (categorized by State);
       (ii) the number of individuals from underserved populations 
     served and turned away from services; and
       (iii) the type of problems that underlie the need for 
     supervised visitation or safe visitation exchange, such as 
     domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, other 
     physical abuse, or a combination of such factors;
       (B) the numbers of supervised visitations or safe 
     visitation exchanges ordered under this section during 
     custody determinations under a separation or divorce decree 
     or protection order, through child protection services or 
     other social services agencies, or by any other order of a 
     civil, criminal, juvenile, or family court;
       (C) the process by which children or abused partners are 
     protected during visitations, temporary custody transfers, 
     and other activities for which supervised visitation is 
     established under this section;
       (D) safety and security problems occurring during the 
     reporting period during supervised visitation under this 
     section, including the number of parental abduction cases; 
     and
       (E) the number of parental abduction cases in a judicial 
     district using supervised visitation programs and services 
     under this section, both as identified in criminal 
     prosecution and custody violations.
       (2) Guidelines.--The Attorney General shall establish 
     guidelines for the collection and reporting of data under 
     this subsection.
       (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized 
     to be appropriated from the Violent Crime Reduction Trust 
     Fund established under section 310001 of the Violent Crime 
     Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14211) to 
     carry out this section $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
     2001 and 2002.
       (f) Allotment for Indian Tribes.--Not less than 5 percent 
     of the total amount made available for each fiscal year to 
     carry out this section shall be available for grants to 
     Indian tribal governments.

   Subtitle C--Protections Against Violence and Abuse for Women with 
                              Disabilities

     SEC. 310. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds that--
       (1) women with disabilities are more likely to be the 
     victims of abuse and violence than women without disabilities 
     because of their increased physical, economic, social, or 
     psychological dependence on others;
       (2) in domestic violence cases, women with disabilities 
     stay with their batterers almost twice as long as women 
     without disabilities;
       (3) violence and abuse against women with disabilities 
     takes many forms, including verbal abuse, physical abuse, 
     sexual assault, forced isolation, control over economic 
     resources, and the withholding of equipment, medication, 
     transportation, or personal care assistance;
       (4) many women with disabilities fail to report abuse 
     because they are dependent on their abusers and fear being 
     abandoned or institutionalized;
       (5) many women with disabilities are unable to leave 
     abusive or violent spouses or cohabitants because of the 
     inaccessibility of services or the fear of abandoning 
     dependent children; and
       (6) law enforcement, the criminal justice system, legal 
     services, and victim services

[[Page H8093]]

     are often not equipped or trained to effectively identify and 
     respond to abuse or violence against women with disabilities.

     SEC. 311. OMNIBUS CRIME CONTROL AND SAFE STREETS ACT OF 1968.

       Section 2001(b)(5) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe 
     Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg(b)), as amended by 
     section 141(a)(1), is amended by inserting before the 
     semicolon at the end the following: ``and forms of violence 
     and abuse particularly suffered by women with disabilities''.

     SEC. 312. VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT.

       Section 40412 of the Equal Justice for Women in the Courts 
     Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13992) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (6), by inserting ``, stereotyping of 
     persons with disabilities who are victims of rape, sexual 
     assault, abuse, or violence'' after ``racial stereotyping of 
     rape victims'';
       (2) in paragraph (13), by inserting ``or among persons with 
     disabilities,'' after ``socioeconomic groups,''; and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (22) the following:
       ``(23) issues related to violence and abuse against persons 
     with disabilities, including the nature of physical, mental, 
     and communications disabilities, the special vulnerability to 
     violence of persons with disabilities, and the types of 
     violence and abuse experienced by persons with disabilities;
       ``(24) the requirements placed on courts and judges under 
     existing disability laws, including the requirements to 
     provide appropriate auxiliary aids and services and to ensure 
     physical access; and
       ``(25) the stereotypes regarding the fitness of persons 
     with disabilities to retain custody of children, especially 
     in domestic violence cases.''.

     SEC. 313. GRANTS FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General shall make grants to 
     States, nongovernmental private entities, and tribal 
     organizations to provide education and technical assistance 
     for the purpose of providing training, consultation, and 
     information on violence, abuse, and sexual assault against 
     women who are individuals with disabilities (as defined in 
     section 3 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 
     U.S.C. 12102)).
       (b) Priorities.--In making grants under this section, the 
     Attorney General shall give priority to applications designed 
     to provide education and technical assistance on--
       (1) the nature, definition, and characteristics of 
     violence, abuse, and sexual assault experienced by women who 
     are individuals with disabilities;
       (2) outreach activities to ensure that women who are 
     individuals with disabilities who are victims of violence, 
     abuse, and sexual assault receive appropriate assistance;
       (3) the requirements of shelters and victim services 
     organizations under Federal anti-discrimination laws, 
     including the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and 
     section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and
       (4) cost-effective ways that shelters and victim services 
     may accommodate the needs of individuals with disabilities in 
     accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
       (c) Uses of Grants.--Each recipient of a grant under this 
     section shall provide information and training to national, 
     State, local, and tribal organizations and programs that 
     provide services to individuals with disabilities, including 
     independent living centers, disability-related service 
     organizations, domestic violence programs providing shelter 
     or related assistance, rape crisis centers, and programs 
     providing sexual assault services, other victim services 
     organizations, and women with disabilities.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated from the Violent Crime Reduction Trust 
     Fund established under section 310001 of the Violent Crime 
     Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 14211) to 
     carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
     2001 through 2005.

   Subtitle D--Standards, Practice, and Training for Sexual Assault 
                              Examinations

     SEC. 315. SHORT TITLE.

       This subtitle may be cited as the ``Standards, Practice, 
     and Training for Sexual Assault Forensic Examinations Act''.

     SEC. 316. STANDARDS, PRACTICE, AND TRAINING FOR SEXUAL 
                   ASSAULT FORENSIC EXAMINATIONS.

       (a) In General.--The Attorney General shall--
       (1) evaluate existing standards of training and practice 
     for licensed health care professionals performing sexual 
     assault forensic examinations and develop a national 
     recommended standard for training;
       (2) recommend sexual assault forensic examination training 
     for all health care students to improve the recognition of 
     injuries suggestive of rape and sexual assault and baseline 
     knowledge of appropriate referrals in victim treatment and 
     evidence collection; and
       (3) review existing national, State, tribal, and local 
     protocols on sexual assault forensic examinations, and based 
     on this review, develop a recommended national protocol and 
     establish a mechanism for its nationwide dissemination.
       (b) Consultation.--The Attorney General shall consult with 
     national, State, tribal, and local experts in the area of 
     rape and sexual assault, including rape crisis centers, State 
     and tribal sexual assault and domestic violence coalitions 
     and programs, and programs for criminal justice, forensic 
     nursing, forensic science, emergency room medicine, law, 
     social services, and sex crimes in underserved communities 
     (as defined in section 2003(7) of the Omnibus Crime Control 
     and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-2(7) as 
     amended by section 2(d)).
       (c) Report.--The Attorney General shall ensure that no 
     later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, a 
     report of the actions taken pursuant to subsection (a) is 
     submitted to Congress.
       (d) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to carry out this section $200,000 for 
     fiscal year 2001.

                Subtitle E--Domestic Violence Task Force

     SEC. 320. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TASK FORCE

       The Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (108 Stat. 1902), as 
     amended by section 107, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following:

               ``Subtitle I--Domestic Violence Task Force

     ``SEC. 40901. TASK FORCE.

       ``(a) Establish.--The Attorney General, in consultation 
     with national nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations whose 
     primary expertise is in domestic violence, shall establish a 
     task force to coordinate research on domestic violence and to 
     report to Congress on any overlapping or duplication of 
     efforts on domestic violence issues. The task force shall be 
     comprised of representatives from all Federal agencies that 
     fund such research.
       ``(b) Uses of Funds.--Funds appropriated under this section 
     shall be used to--
       ``(1) develop a coordinated strategy to strengthen research 
     focused on domestic violence education, prevention, and 
     intervention strategies;
       ``(2) track and report all Federal research and 
     expenditures on domestic violence; and
       ``(3) identify gaps and duplication of efforts in domestic 
     violence research and governmental expenditures on domestic 
     violence issues.
       ``(c) Report.--The Task Force shall report to Congress 
     annually on its work under subsection (b).
       ``(d) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term 
     `domestic violence' has the meaning given such term by 
     section 2003 of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets 
     Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg-2(1).
       ``(e) Authorization of Appropriation.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated $500,000 for each of the fiscal years 2001 
     through 2004 to carry out this section.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Hyde) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde).


                             General Leave

  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on H.R. 1248, as amended.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1248, the Violence 
Against Women Act of 2000, and I salute the gentlewoman from Maryland 
(Mrs. Morella) for her leadership on this issue.
  I know all of us in Congress are concerned with violence perpetrated 
against women; and tragically, it continues to be a serious national 
problem that takes various forms, including domestic battery, stalking, 
rape, and murder. This legislation strengthens the ability of local 
communities to respond effectively to such crimes.
  Sadly, most of us committed to the fight against domestic violence 
know the facts all too well: nearly one in every three adult women 
experiences at least one physical assault by a partner during 
adulthood; 5 million date rapes and physical assaults are perpetrated 
against women annually.
  While in general, crime rates are down, domestic violence remains a 
serious problem in our society, occurring in all communities and 
crossing ethnic, racial, age, and socioeconomic lines. The national 
toll that such violence takes on women, families, and children is 
incalculable. It diminishes us all.
  Since its inception in 1994, Congress has appropriated more than $1.5 
billion in Violence Against Women Act funding for State and local law 
enforcement agencies, as well as for education, prevention, and 
outreach programs.
  Violence Against Women Act programs have aided the prosecution of 
domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse cases across the 
country, and have increased victims services, like domestic violence 
shelters for women.
  I am pleased that the House is acting today in a bipartisan fashion 
and will

[[Page H8094]]

be the first body in Congress to pass reauthorization legislation, 
because the authorization for these vital programs expires at the end 
of this fiscal year, just 4 days from now.
  Mr. Speaker, I do want it to be clear, even if we have not ironed out 
our differences with the Senate's Violence Against Women Act 
reauthorization bill by the end of the fiscal year, funding will 
continue. It remains a priority of this Congress, which is why we have 
held hearings on the bill, strengthened it as it moved through the 
committee, and are here on the floor today to pass it.
  Mr. Speaker, key programs reauthorized in this legislation include 
grant funding for State and local law enforcement and prosecutors to 
combat violence against women, shelters for victims, the national 
domestic violence hotline, and rape prevention efforts. Additional 
initiatives have been authorized aimed at preventing domestic violence 
and sexual assault against older and disabled individuals, meeting the 
civil legal assistance and transitional housing needs of victims and 
establishing a task force to minimize overlapping Federal efforts to 
address domestic violence.
  In short, this bill is a balanced and comprehensive effort to enhance 
the ability of States and localities to prevent and combat violence 
against women.
  When I am asked about my commitment to Violence Against Women Act and 
where that fits into the congressional crime agenda, my answer is 
simple: violence against women is a crime. It is wrong. It should be 
punished severely, and we have a responsibility to develop and fund 
community-based efforts to prevent it.
  We must continue to support comprehensive community-based efforts to 
keep victims safe and hold offenders accountable, and reauthorizing the 
Violence Against Women Act programs through passage and enactment of 
H.R. 1248 will further efforts to do just that.

                              {time}  1230

  This is a bill all Members, both Republicans and Democrats, can 
enthusiastically support and be proud in so doing.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am so happy that the Violence Against Women Act is 
finally coming to the floor of the House of Representatives for a 
disposition, and just in the nick of time. The funding for Violence 
Against Women Act expires on September 30, 4 days from now.
  It is not clear what has taken us so long into coming to the floor 
with this measure, because it is a bipartisan measure with great 
support throughout the several States and the administration and the 
President as well.
  But I am finally glad that the leadership has realized what we have 
been saying all along, that violence against women is a priority, and 
we cannot let the funds or the programs run out.
  In 1994, the Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act to 
address the nationwide problem of domestic violence and sexual assault. 
VAWA provided funding to combat the violence that is visited upon 
almost 900,000 women each year by either their current spouse or former 
spouse or boyfriend. This is not a good scene. In addition, VAWA has 
made changes to our civil and criminal laws to address domestic 
violence and sexual assault.
  In part, as a result of Violence Against Women Act, intimate partner 
violence has decreased 21 percent from 1993 to 1998. Nevertheless, 
domestic violence is still experienced by hundreds of thousands of 
women each year. There are still demographic groups that need better 
access to services and the criminal justice system. Predominantly among 
them are people who have not had their immigrant status resolved and 
are not yet citizens but are subject to lots of unnecessary violence.
  This is where H.R. 1248, our bill, comes in. This bill continues 
funding for the Violence Against Women Act programs such as law 
enforcement and prosecution grants to combat violence against women, 
the National Domestic Violence Hot Line so necessary to anything we are 
doing in this area, the battered women's shelters and services, the 
education and training for, not only judges, but court personnel and 
police, the pro-arrest policies, the rural domestic violence and child 
abuse enforcement, the stalker reduction program, and others.
  Importantly, this bill takes preliminary steps to address dating 
violence, an area which was left out of the previous Violence Against 
Women law, and provides serious consequences for those who violate this 
provision. Young women between the ages of 16 and 24 surprisingly 
experience the highest rates of violence by current or former intimate 
partners. And 40 percent of the teenage girls between the ages of 14 
and 17 report knowing someone their age who has been beaten or struck 
by a boyfriend.
  Although the majority cut back the original bill's dating violence 
program, we were at least able to preserve coverage for dating violence 
in the most critical areas.
  In addition, I hope that, as we move forward, we will be able to 
restore the bill's original protections for populations underserved 
because of alienage status, religion, and sexual orientation. In the 
Committee on the Judiciary, the majority stripped these groups from the 
bill's definition of underserved populations. I regret that very much.
  The majority also blocked amendments that would have added needed 
protections for battered immigrant women. I look forward to 
conferencing this bill with the Senate bill that contains many of these 
provisions.
  My last disappointment was that we were refused the ability to 
include any provisions to ensure that the civil legal remedy in 
Violence Against Women complies with the recent Supreme Court decision, 
U.S. v. Morrison, which struck down a provision in the original 
Violence Against Women Act that guarantees that all victims of gender-
motivated crimes had unencumbered access to courts to seek civil 
damages against their assailants.
  So we have introduced another bill that restores the civil legal 
remedy of Violence Against Women, H.R. 5021. Although there is precious 
little time left in this session, I hope that the Republican leadership 
will join with all of us on both sides of the aisle that want this 
measure brought to the floor, just as they have done with H.R. 1248.
  I also want to commend the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) 
for his work on this and other measures during his 6 years as chairman 
of the House Committee on the Judiciary and which I have been 
privileged to serve as the ranking member.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Conyers) for his generous comments as always.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield such time as she may consume to 
the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella).
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, boy am I excited about this. I want to 
thank the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the Chairman of the 
Committee on the Judiciary, for yielding the time, for his leadership, 
and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers), the ranking member of 
the committee.
  I was thinking as I was sitting here in anticipation, it was Abraham 
Lincoln who said ``The world will little note nor long remember what we 
say here.'' I will say we will always know what we did here by virtue 
of reauthorizing this Violence Against Women Act.
  Indeed, the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde) has really been 
the leader of a number of champions and a champion himself to enable 
Congress to continue the commitment that we made in 1994 to eradicate 
domestic violence in our society. Under the leadership of the gentleman 
from Illinois, his House Committee on the Judiciary did add several 
strong bipartisan amendments which strengthened H.R. 1248.
  For millions of women, reauthorizing VAWA means maintaining the link 
to life without fear or pain, a right that everyone deserves and a 
right that we have a duty to protect. Maybe we can only imagine what 
life would be like to be terrified of the one we love, to fear how our 
children will be affected by violence, to see what they see and feel in 
their own homes.
  Every year in this country, over 3 million children watch as their 
mother is beaten. As they become adults, some

[[Page H8095]]

will overcome the sadness of their childhood. But many others will 
develop the only behavior they know, continuing the cycle of abuse. 
Violence Against Women Act provides that link to life free from fear 
and violence. Without Federal laws, VAWA grants enable States to create 
solutions to meet local needs that would not happen.
  When Congress passed VAWA in 1994, we provided tens of thousands of 
battered women with hope. Every month, the National Domestic Violence 
Hot Line answers 13,000 calls for help. Since its inception, the hot 
line has helped 500,000 victims reach local shelters, with counseling, 
and legal services.
  Of the many VAWA grant programs, the battered women's shelters 
provide the safety that every victim seeks for themselves and their 
children. Across the country, shelters overflow. They are crowded. 
Women and children seeking a safe place to sleep, but are turned away. 
All the hot lines, counseling and education programs combined are not 
effective unless victims can be safe.
  Mr. Speaker, 5 years ago, I was involved with the passage of the 
Violence Against Women Act which was the first time that Congress 
recognized how domestic violence adversely affects so many women of all 
ages and very often their children. Federally funded programs currently 
provide training for law enforcement, judicial personnel, enable the 
hot line, counselors and shelters to provide safe alternatives for 
victims while helping them to rebuild their lives and the lives of 
their children.
  Domestic violence and sexual assault have stained our country's 
social fabric, shattering lives and inflicting much pain on thousands 
of families. The intervention of Federal legislation has helped develop 
a network of local coalitions and organizations dedicated to helping 
victims in their community.
  The statistics on family violence are staggering. Over 2,000 women 
are reportedly raped every week, and 30 percent of all female murder 
victims are killed by their husband or significant other.
  Mr. Speaker, these grants and programs are giving victims a second 
chance. They must be maintained to continue the commitment that we in 
Congress made in 1994 to provide women and children alternatives to 
living with the fear and danger of domestic violence and child abuse.
  Domestic violence is a national tragedy that can only be battled by 
awareness and access to a safe, alternative life-style. Public 
awareness empowers victims to seek help instead of living with this 
secret in fear. We know that anyone can be a victim regardless of race, 
region, or socioeconomic status. VAWA programs currently support 
efforts across the country to keep victims safe and rebuild the lives 
of women, children and families.
  There are so many people to thank, Mr. Speaker: The 240 cosponsors on 
the House side, the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman Hyde). The 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. McCollum), the subcommittee chairman did a 
wonderful job. I thank the sponsors of valuable additions on the 
Committee on the Judiciary: The gentleman from Florida (Mr. McCollum) 
for the safe havens for children transitional housing.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, will the gentlewoman yield?
  Mrs. MORELLA. Indeed I will yield to the gentleman from Illinois.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I just want to point out that the gentlewoman 
from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) deserves the fullest accolades of the 
chief sponsor of this legislation. She has been on the point. She has 
urged us, tugged us, pulled us, cajoled us, made us move forward on 
this. Her leadership has been indispensable, and we salute her.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Illinois. But 
it has become a partnership, and the partnership deserves credit on 
both sides of the aisle.
  The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) has worked very hard on it. 
I want to also pick up on the amendments: The gentleman from Arkansas 
(Mr. Hutchinson) for the improved civil legal assistance grant program; 
the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin) for training for elderly 
women and women with disabilities. The gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Conyers), ranking member has worked very hard on it.
  That partnership, it is kind of like the template for what we should 
be doing in Congress, because it reached out to organizations also that 
also were there inch by inch, moving along: The National Coalition 
Against Domestic Violence with Julie Fulcher; the National Network to 
End Domestic Violence; the Now Legal Defense and Education Fund, 
National Task Force on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault; RAINN, 
Rape Abuse and Incest National Network; and National Council for Jewish 
Women.
  I also want to say one thing. I believe in a paraphrase of the 23rd 
Psalm, ``My rod and my staff, they comfort me'' and prepare the papers 
for me in the presence of my constituents. This has been darn good 
staff work. Very good staff work.
  I wanted to say that the staff on the majority side, Dan Bryant, Carl 
Thorsen have been fantastic. The staff on the minority side have been 
great. The leadership staff, Paul McNulty. We could not have done it 
without them. My staff person, Kate Dickens. I thank all of them.
  I hope we will have a unanimous vote on this. I thank people on both 
sides of the aisle for the wonderful work they have done.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to yield 2 minutes to 
the gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) who has worked on this in 
committee and out of committee with the public organizations.
  (Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon we can spend 
all of our time thanking all of the leaders. I thank the gentlewoman 
from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) and the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Conyers), ranking member, and the gentleman from Illinois (Chairman 
Hyde) for working together.
  There are so many others that we want to applaud and the women of the 
House and the men of the House who worked on this.
  But, Mr. Speaker, let me just simply say that, although domestic 
violence is a sick, criminal, and senseless act, it is alive and well.
  Just yesterday I heard testimony from a woman in my district whose 
face was disfigured because a male family member shot her point-blank 
in the face.

                              {time}  1245

  I cite the glaring headlines in Houston of a murder-suicide, the 
husband killing the wife and leaving four children without parents. In 
a July 2000 study, it was reaffirmed that domestic violence is alive 
and well. This bill is crucial, it is necessary, it is imperative.
  Mr. Speaker, 24.8 percent of surveyed women and 7.6 percent of 
surveyed men said they were raped or physically assaulted by a current 
or former spouse, cohabiting partner, or date at some time. Among women 
who were victimized multiple times by the same partner, 62.6 percent of 
the rape victims and 69.5 percent of the assault victims said their 
victimization lasted a year or more. Multiple times of assault and 
victimization. Almost 5 percent of U.S. women are stalked at some time 
in their life and approximately 500,000 women are stalked annually.
  This bill is a joy to be reauthorized, for it helps all of our 
States. My State of Texas will get $50 million. I am an advisory member 
of the Houston Area Women's Center, and I used to sit on the board. I 
know their needs are strong and they are viable. This bill will help us 
solve some of the problems and correct the ills.
  I hope that we will be able to fix the Supreme Court decision in H.R. 
521 that will help us provide a vehicle for those who have been kept 
out of work to be able to recover their lost damages because they have 
been victimized by those who have abused them.
  I would ask my colleagues to unanimously support the reauthorization 
of VAWA, and I thank all of those who have worked so hard on this 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1248, the Violence Against 
Women Act of 1999 [VAWA]. Domestic violence is a serious issue that 
deserves the full attention of this Congress.
  I thank Representative Connie Morella for her leadership on this 
issue and support the

[[Page H8096]]

full reauthorization of VAWA. When considering the history of violence 
against women, we need not look far. The concept that a woman is the 
property of a man is firmly rooted in our English definition of family. 
Family, derived from the Latin Familia, is defined as ``The total 
number of wives, children and slaves belonging to one man.'' 
Unfortunately, this belief still exists today among many in this 
country today. Domestic violence affects women of all cultures, races, 
occupations, and income levels. Furthermore, approximately one-third of 
the men counseled for battering are professional men who are well 
respected in their jobs and communities. According to the National 
Crime Victimization Survey data from the Department of Justice, between 
1992 and 1996, over 150,000 women were victims of violent crimes.
  Although domestic violence affects women across all racial and 
economic lines, a high percentage of these victims are women of color. 
African-American women account for 16 percent of the women who have 
been physically abused by a husband or partner in the last 5 years. 
African-American women were the victims in more than 53 percent of the 
violent deaths that occurred in 1997. As a result, the Violence Against 
Women Act [VAWA] of 1994 was the congressional response to the growing 
problem of domestic violence. VAWA created new criminal enforcement 
authority and it enhanced penalties to combat sexual assault domestic 
violence in Federal court and since the funding for VAWA I expires at 
the end of this fiscal year, it is necessary to reauthorize funding for 
these most vital programs.
  Mr. Speaker, the dynamics of domestic violence can be as subtle as a 
verbal attack or as overt as murder. Battering instills a sense of 
control and fear in a victim through a series of behaviors that include 
intimidation, threats, psychological abuse, isolation and physical 
violence. Nationwide, one out of every four women of all women is 
battered at some point in their lives. Every 15 seconds a woman is 
beaten. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to women 
between the ages of 15 to 44. Close to 22 to 35 percent of the women 
who visit emergency rooms are there for injuries related to domestic 
abuse. Violence against women destroys families, takes the lives of 
women and their children, and it traumatizes the young people who 
witness it.
  States are increasingly recognizing that 42 states and the District 
of Columbia now include domestic violence as a factor in custody 
decisions. Children who witness violence at home often display 
emotional and behavioral disturbances. Child abuse is 15 times more 
likely to occur in families where domestic violence is present. It is 
well documented that children who witness violence in the home grow up 
to repeat the same patterns as adults. Men who have witnessed their 
parents' domestic violence are three times as likely to abuse their own 
wives. The National Institute for Justice reports that being abused as 
a child increases the likelihood of arrest as a juvenile by 53 percent 
and as an adult by 38 percent.
  The tragedy of violence against women is not just a personal 
problem--it is a community crisis. Violence against women has many 
economic ramifications including health care costs, employment, 
housing, and social and legal services. Medical expenses from domestic 
violence total at least $3 to $5 billion each year. This includes costs 
for emergency room care and hospitalization, mental health counseling, 
substance abuse treatment, and health care costs for children. We must 
recognize that businesses lose up to $100 million a year in lost wages, 
sick leave and absenteeism. It is estimated that 25 percent of these 
workplace problems are due to domestic violence. Battered women suffer 
from lost productivity due to illness, inability to concentrate and 
frequent absenteeism. This is why it is necessary to include provisions 
like the Victims Employment Rights Act that would and tax incentives 
for employers that would encourage large and small businesses to train 
their employees to recognize the special needs of victims of domestic 
violence.

  Moreover, violence in teen dating relationships is also widespread. 
Between 25 and 40 percent of teens are reported to have been assaulted 
by dates and 60 percent of all rapes reported the rape crisis centers 
are committed by acquaintances with the majority of these victims 
between the ages of 16 and 24 years. This is why it is necessary to 
include ``dating violence'' in the definition of domestic violence so 
that we do not ignore the unique circumstances of dating violence 
victims. Housing is another significant economic concern that should 
have been addressed in H.R. 1248. Because many women are economically 
dependent on their batterers, shelters are vital to assist these women 
with some form of transitional housing.
  This bill, H.R. 1248 does reauthorize grant funding for the training 
and education of court personnel and I applaud this inclusion. We must 
not forget that criminal justice and the legal system are affected by 
incidences of domestic violence. Frequent reports to police and 
appearances in court are common. Most police reports and court 
appearances are due to abusers who stalk their victims. Immigrant women 
are also vulnerable to domestic violence because of the jeopardy of 
their immigrant status that is exacerbated by economic dependency. Also 
many immigrant women are dependent on their abusers for legal status. 
Unfortunately, this is not adequately addressed in H.R. 1248, but I am 
hopeful that this issue will be properly addressed in the future.
  Mr. Speaker, I would also like to bring awareness to the specific 
problems within my State of Texas. In Texas, there were 175,725 
incidents of family violence in 1998. An estimated 824,790 women were 
physically abused in Texas in 1998. Of all of the women killed in 1997, 
35 percent were murdered by their intimate male partners. In 1998, 110 
women were murdered by their partners.
  An example of the importance of this legislation is the impact that 
VAWA grants have had on services in the local community. In Houston, we 
have the Houston Area Women's Center which operates a domestic violence 
hotline, a shelter for battered women and counseling for violence 
survivors. The center provides all of its services for free. 
Furthermore, this center maintains an invaluable website that allows 
anyone to access information about domestic violence resources and 
support networks.
  Over 34,000 women in Houston called for counseling services in 1997 
for family violence. This counseling included services for women with 
children and teenagers who have also survived violence. The shelter 
housed 1,062 women and children and assisted close to 2,000 with other 
forms of services.
  The Texas Council on Family Violence has used VAWA funds for several 
projects as well. These include the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 
Technical Assistance and Model Policies and Procedures Project, the 
Texas Domestic Violence Needs Assessment Project and the Domestic 
Violence Rural Education Project. Reauthorization of VAWA will help to 
maintain the current level of services and ensure that these projects 
are able to continue to provide quality service. These organizations 
are vital to women in need of assistance and services. VAWA must be 
reauthorized in order for these programs and the many others previously 
mentioned to continue and I hope that this body will work together 
today to vote in favor of the Violence Against Women Act of 1999.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from 
Arkansas (Mr. Hutchinson).
  Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me 
this time; and, Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in support of the 
Violence Against Women Act of 2000 and its reauthorization.
  I congratulate the congressional leadership for bringing this bill to 
the floor; to the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella), who has 
done such an outstanding job in her leadership, and the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Hyde) for leading it through the committee.
  This legislation authorizes and improves programs created by the 
Violence Against Women Act. Among some provisions that are very 
important to me, it provides civil legal assistance to the victims of 
domestic violence and sexual assault. It establishes uniform standards 
for sexual assault examination and creates a domestic violence task 
force to report to Congress on any duplication or overlapping of 
Federal efforts to address domestic violence.
  As a practicing lawyer, the civil legal assistance, I see, as very 
critical. And this is the reason this amendment was offered in 
committee, that would allow Legal Services Corporation funding to be 
spent on behalf of these victims. Whenever they come into an office, 
whenever they are victimized, they need not only a shelter but they 
need legal assistance to have access to the courts.
  During the last 6 years that these programs have been authorized, it 
has made a crucial difference in the lives of women and children who 
have been victimized by domestic violence. In my home State of 
Arkansas, the program funds 95 percent of the domestic violence 
shelters available to battered women; it funds three personnel to train 
prosecutors, law enforcement officers, and shelter workers on how to 
help battered women. It funds a DNA analysis machine critical to 
identifying the identity of sexual assaulters. It has been instrumental 
in solving some violent crimes.

[[Page H8097]]

  These funds, Mr. Speaker, are critically important to our State, and 
Congress must continue to support the comprehensive community-based 
efforts to keep victims safe and hold offenders accountable. 
Reauthorizing this legislation is an important act of this Congress, 
and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
Wisconsin (Ms. Baldwin); and I apologize to everyone in advance, 
especially the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Millender-McDonald), 
for the constriction in time that we are under.
  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. Speaker, the Bureau of Justice statistics recently 
released a report that contains encouraging news. Overall violence 
against women has declined in recent years. I credit the Violence 
Against Women Act and local and State programs that it has supported 
over the last 6 years.
  But our work is far from done. Domestic violence and sexual assault 
are still a scourge on our Nation. The statistics are chilling. Nearly 
one in three women will experience physical or sexual assault during 
their lifetimes. These horrible crimes damage lives and tear families 
apart. We must do all we can to stop the cycle of violence in our 
country. VAWA is a proven part of that solution.
  Mr. Speaker, I have worked towards this day and this vote for many 
months with the author of this bill, the distinguished members of the 
Committee on the Judiciary, and committed activists from across the 
country. Now we must move the reauthorization of VAWA through the last 
steps and ensure that it is passed into law this session.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that both sides may 
have an additional 5 minutes for debate.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). Without objection, each side 
is recognized for an additional 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
California (Mrs. Bono), one of the most productive and useful members 
of our Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mrs. BONO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1248, which 
reauthorizes the Violence Against Women Act.
  In California's's 44th Congressional District, organizations like 
Shelter From the Storm are making tremendous strides in addressing the 
emotional and physical pain which comes from domestic violence. During 
my many visits to the shelter, I have witnessed the love and dedication 
of those who work and volunteer there. In speaking with the many women 
who have sought out the shelter as a last refuge, I have seen the fear 
in their eyes and heard of the hope in their hearts. For the women and 
children who find themselves in the traumatic situation of having to 
escape abuse, often having to leave all they love and know behind, 
Shelter From the Storm stands ready to help.
  Mr. Speaker, we owe it to this shelter and others around this country 
to help them in this effort; to help these victims find a new and much 
better life. By supporting the Violence Against Women Act, we can make 
a modest contribution towards addressing this dire concern.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
North Dakota (Mr. Pomeroy).
  Mr. POMEROY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for yielding me 
this time.
  There are 4 days left under the existing authorization of the 
Violence Against Women Act. Thank goodness we were able to take the 
action today so that hopefully there will not be any gap whatsoever in 
the authorization for this legislation. The fight against domestic 
violence is simply too important for us to signal somehow that this 
authorization and our commitment to this fight is going to be 
disrupted.
  In my own State of North Dakota in 1999 there were 5,800 incidents of 
domestic violence and 3,600 victims reporting to State crisis 
intervention centers. The programs and the funding that flow from this 
authorization are critically linked to the fight so admirably waged by 
the advocates on the ground helping these victims. The fight is just 
too important to walk away from; and I am very pleased and commend all 
who, in a bipartisan manner, have brought this matter to the floor 
today for our action.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Royce).
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me this 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, every year, and this year again, we will have several 
million women in this country who are attacked by their ex-husbands or 
by ex-boyfriends. There will be half a million who are stalked. Four 
thousand of these women will die. These are at times silent cries, with 
the victims not knowing where or to whom they can turn for help.
  This horrifying reality is a call for us to ensure that women and law 
enforcement, local law enforcement, have the resources necessary to 
escape abuse. That is why I am a cosponsor of this bill to reauthorize 
the Violence Against Women Act.
  I think it is important for us to recognize that since it was 
authorized in 1994, we have seen a reduction by 21 percent of the level 
of violence committed against women and children by their spouses or by 
their partners. Thanks to this bill, more than 300,000 women who were 
seeking a safe haven have received much-needed shelter. I urge its 
passage today.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Nadler), a member of the Committee on the Judiciary who has 
been committed to this measure.
  Mr. NADLER. Mr. Speaker, reauthorization of the Violence Against 
Women Act is urgently needed, for reasons we have already heard. It is 
disgraceful not only that consideration of the reauthorization of this 
bill has been delayed until only days before it expires, but also that 
some Members of the other body have stated that VAWA will be attached 
to controversial bankruptcy legislation as a sweetener to get Members 
who object to that bill to vote for a combined bill.
  Joining these two bills would be a cynical and desperate ploy to try 
to obtain enactment of a bankruptcy bill that injures women and their 
families, injures consumers and small businesses, and which no longer 
will have a provision that would prevent those who use threats and 
violence to harass women and their doctors from using the Bankruptcy 
Code to evade their lawful fines under the Freedom of Access to Clinic 
Entrances Act. We cannot make an anti-woman and anti-family bill like 
that acceptable by attaching a popular and worthwhile measure, which 
should easily have passed on its own months ago. As Joan Entmacher, of 
the National Women's Law Center, has put it, ``This is not a sweetener, 
it's extortion.''
  I call on the other body to do the right thing and pass the Violence 
Against Women Act on its own stand-alone bill. Let us continue to 
debate the many flaws of the proposed bankruptcy bill separately. But I 
urge the other body to not use battered, abused, and murdered women, 
who do not have the millions to lobby Congress, to give a gift to the 
banks and creditors. Let us pass this with bipartisan support today, 
pass it unencumbered to the Senate, and send it to the President.
  Mr. Speaker, reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act is 
urgently needed for reasons we have already heard. Every day four women 
die in this country as a result of ``domestic violence''--the euphemism 
for murders and assaults by husbands and boyfriends. That's 
approximately 1,400 women a year. Estimates indicate that every year 
1.2 million women are forcibly raped by their current or former male 
partners. This bill is a crucial first step in addressing this horrific 
situation. It is disgraceful that this bill, which has overwhelming 
support in both houses, is coming up just a few short days before 
authorization for VAWA is set to expire. This delay is as irresponsible 
as it is unnecessary. We have a lot more work to do to reduce violence 
in our communities and in our families. We could add to the bill before 
us dozens of ways to strengthen its provisions, but at the very least, 
let us pass this underlying bill with bipartisan support today, pass it 
unencumbered in the Senate, and send it to the President.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman from 
New York (Mrs. Kelly).
  Mrs. KELLY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 
Violence Against Women Act of 1999. Today's Washington Post includes an 
editorial in support of H.R. 1248. The column states, ``There seems to 
be no good reason, practical or substantive, to oppose reauthorization 
of the Violence Against Women Act.''

[[Page H8098]]

  Mr. Speaker, this editorial hits the nail on the head. The U.S. 
Department of Justice has estimated that between one and four million 
women are physically abused by their husbands or live-in partners each 
year. There is violence in one out of four American homes. Justice also 
reports that up to 40 percent of teenage girls, age 14 to 17, report 
knowing someone their age who has been hit or beaten by a boyfriend.
  Family violence costs the Nation upwards of $10 billion annually in 
medical expenses, police and court costs, shelters and foster care, 
sick leave, absenteeism and nonproductivity. And, Mr. Speaker, I have 
only touched on the tip of the iceberg.
  Unlike many people, we are in a position to help turn these 
statistics around. We can begin by passing this bill today and help 
thousands of men and millions of women who face abuse in their own 
homes to feel a little safer knowing that we are here, that we are 
listening, and that we will once again fulfill our promise and continue 
to supply the resources to help them escape from abuse and end the 
cycle of violence.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my good friend, the gentlewoman 
from Maryland (Mrs. Morella), for her tireless efforts on behalf of 
these men and women; and especially my friend, the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Hyde); and my friend, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. 
McCollum), who all helped move the legislation forward. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting this important legislation.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lofgren), a member of the Committee on the Judiciary, 
who has been tireless on this measure.
  Ms. LOFGREN. Mr. Speaker, I urge every Member of this body to vote 
for this measure. For years, before I was elected to Congress, I served 
on the County Board of Supervisors in Santa Clara County. It was in 
that capacity that I really started to understand domestic violence.
  In the year before I became a Member of Congress, we did a survey of 
our county hospital and found that over one-third of the emergency room 
visits to the county hospital were related to domestic violence. We 
know that nationwide a third of the women who are murdered every year 
are murdered in the course of domestic violence by an intimate partner, 
and that 20 percent of all violent crimes against women are related to 
domestic violence.
  This authorization will provide $92.5 million to the State of 
California to help women who are victims of domestic violence. I know 
firsthand, from the shelter in my neighborhood in San Jose, that women 
need to be able to escape with their children to safety as a first step 
to removing themselves from this violence. This act is essential in 
providing those resources.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Washington (Ms. Dunn), who has been a leader in this struggle for 
women's rights.

                              {time}  1300

  Ms. DUNN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the Violence 
Against Women Act, or VAWA as we know it.
  We have heard today how instrumental this act has been in helping 
women who are victims of domestic violence.
  In my district in Washington State, Eastside Domestic Violence finds 
women and children anonymous housing, counseling, jobs, and makes the 
initial transition out of a violent home a little bit easier for a 
woman.
  The physical and mental abuse these women suffer can be astounding, 
and women's shelters like Eastside Domestic Violence are crucial in 
helping them take their first, most difficult step toward freedom.
  Last year, I co-chaired the Bipartisan Working Group on Youth 
Violence with my colleague on the Democrat side, the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. Frost). The 24 Republicans and Democrats who comprised the 
Working Group heard frequently from law enforcement, academia, and 
family groups that a primary contributor to youth violence is violence 
in the home. Children raised in homes where there is violence are more 
prone to be violent offenders themselves.
  Unfortunately, once these children and their mothers are taken out of 
a violent home, too often they do not receive proper counseling. With 
this bill, we will reach more young people in need of counseling and a 
safe environment where they can be taught that violence is not the way 
to deal with conflict. We must break the cycle of violence.
  Mr. Speaker, reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act is one of 
the most important things we can do to stop youth violence and family 
violence. I urge my colleagues to support this important measure.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Millender-McDonald), the vice co-chair of the Women's 
Caucus who worked so hard on this.
  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I thank all of those who are 
responsible for bringing this piece of legislation to the floor, 
especially the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella).
  Mr. Speaker, this comprehensive law sends a clear message across the 
Nation: violence against women is a crime, and punishment for this 
crime will be enforced.
  While the Violence Against Women Act has had a positive impact on 
communities across the Nation, there is still much work to be done. 
Violence still devastates the lives of too many women and children. 
Nearly one-third of women murdered each year are killed by their 
partners. Domestic violence accounts for over 20 percent of all violent 
crime against women in America. Over 300,000 women were raped and 
sexually assaulted in 1999 alone, Mr. Speaker, and approximately 1 
million women are stalked each year.
  The State of California, which I represent, maintains 23 sexual 
assault response teams, 13 domestic violence response teams, and scores 
of domestic violence advocates located in the State.
  The Violence Against Women Act must be reauthorized. We cannot turn 
our backs on women in need of protection and care. I urge passage of 
this bill.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New 
Hampshire (Mr. Bass), the great granite State.
  Mr. BASS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman of the Committee on the 
Judiciary for yielding me the time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise as a supporter and cosponsor of the Violence 
Against Women Act. I cannot go further without thanking my colleague 
the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) for the enormous energy 
and persistence that she has displayed in pushing this bill forward in 
a just-in-time fashion.
  As we have heard before, the Department of Justice estimates that up 
to 4 million women are physically abused by their husbands or live-in 
partners each year. This is absolutely unacceptable.
  Family violence costs this Nation upwards of 10 billion annually in 
medical expenses, police and court costs, shelters and foster care, 
sick leave, absenteeism, and non-productivity. But the real toll on 
America is really more costly than that. It is non-quantifiable.
  What domestic violence really is is probably the saddest aspect of 
our culture in our civilization. And there is no victim worse than the 
children that are in these households and that are subject to the types 
of problems that exist in areas where there is physical and emotional 
abuse in the household.
  For the past 5 years, the Violence Against Women Act has helped 
address these underlying causes and has provided desperately needed 
crisis services for victims and survivors. VAWA has paid special 
attention to rural towns and counties where previously there had been 
no organized efforts.
  I believe that State and local governments should do more to prevent 
these abuses, but the Federal Government must play a role if we are to 
continue with the successes of VAWA.
  Mr. Speaker, we are now in a position to move the successes of the 
past forward and we can only do this by passing H.R. 1248, the Violence 
Against Women Act.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
New York (Mrs. Lowey) who has worked very hard on this measure.
  (Mrs. LOWEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend her 
remarks.)

[[Page H8099]]

  Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Violence 
Against Women Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to commend my colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle, especially my good friend the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. 
Morella) for her hard work to reenact this landmark law.
  In just 6 years, VAWA has provided over $1.5 billion to support 
prosecutors, law enforcement, courts, shelters, support services, and 
prevention programs to combat violence against women. And it has 
worked.
  The Department of Justice reported earlier this year that intimate 
partner violence fell by over 20 percent from 1993 through 1998. In my 
district, the Queens County District Attorney has more than doubled the 
rate of conviction for domestic violence-related crimes since his 
office started to receive VAWA funding. But there is so much more to 
do.
  I am so pleased that my legislation that I introduced has been 
included in this bill, the Access to Safety and Advocacy Act, which 
will significantly expand civil legal assistance for victims of 
domestic violence and sexual assault. The bill will increase Federal 
funding and do so many other good things. And every woman deserves to 
feel and be safe in her home, her workplace, and her community.
  I thank my colleagues again for moving this bill.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to 
the distinguished gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Moran).
  Mr. MORAN of Kansas. Mr. Speaker, I thank the distinguished gentleman 
from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) for yielding me the time to rise in support of 
H.R. 1248. I also want to thank the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. 
Morella) for introducing this important legislation. I, too, am a 
cosponsor of H.R. 1248.
  This legislation was originally passed in 1994 and has made a 
critical difference in the lives of women and children endangered by 
domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse in my State of 
Kansas. We must continue our efforts to prevent this type of violence.
  Over the last 5 years, the State of Kansas has received in excess of 
$9.4 million to combat violence against women. These funds have helped 
our communities increase victim safety, access to services and 
investigation, and prosecution of domestic violence and child abuse 
cases. This bill helps pay for 27 domestic violence shelters and local 
programs in our very rural State. Each year these programs serve more 
than 16,000 Kansans and respond to more than 38,000 crisis calls. While 
we have made some important strides in our State against reducing 
violence against women, lives remain at risk every day.
  Reauthorization of this legislation is a vital investment in our 
country's future. With this authorization, programs and services 
expiring October 1, 2000, will be renewed. This act is a responsible 
piece of legislation that helps fulfill our commitment to making our 
streets and homes safer for women and children.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Slaughter) a distinguished member of the 
Committee on Rules.
  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, 15 years ago, our greatest challenge was 
convincing Americans that domestic violence was a real problem. Many 
women knew too well that we were in the midst of a deadly epidemic, but 
the culture of silence that surrounded the issue made it difficult for 
them to speak out or get help. Being a victim of domestic violence was 
a source of fear and shame. Many women were trapped in these situations 
without any means of escape.
  Furthermore, it was trivialized by law enforcement, by the judicial 
system, by health care providers, and even sometimes by friends, 
family, and neighbors.
  I am proud to have been an original coauthor of this bill and a 
leader among the Members who fought for its passage. But I must remind 
everybody, it was enormously controversial. Many Members objected to 
its passage strenuously. My colleagues and I worked long and hard to 
convince them otherwise and finally secured its inclusion in the 
omnibus crime passage.
  VAWA, which catapulted domestic violence onto the national agenda, 
provided Federal support for programs like shelters for battered women 
and their children, education for law enforcement officers and judges, 
and resources for prevention and education. I was also the author on 
that bill to protect immigrant spouses.
  I urge passage of the bill, and I thank the gentlewoman from Maryland 
(Mrs. Morella) for saving it from extinction.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1\1/2\ minutes to 
the very distinguished gentleman from the Nutmeg State, Connecticut 
(Mr. Shays).
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me the 
time.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of the Violence Against Women 
Act. This legislation needs to be reauthorized.
  I commend the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the gentlewoman 
from Maryland (Mrs. Morella), the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) 
and the gentleman from Florida (Mr. McCollum) for their tireless 
efforts to bring this vital piece of legislation to the floor.
  The scourge of domestic violence must be ended. Perpetrators of these 
reprehensible crimes must be punished and victims must have support 
services available to help them transition to a normal life.
  This law has substantially reduced the level of violence committed 
against women and children by their spouses, partners and fathers. 
Since it was signed into law in 1994, the Violence Against Women Act 
has strengthened criminal laws and provided funding to enhance their 
enforcement. It has also provided a foundation for a successful long-
term criminal justice effort to end violence against women.
  By encouraging collaboration among police, prosecutors and victims 
service providers, the Violence Against Women Act is providing a 
comprehensive community response to violence against women across the 
country. Violence Against Women Act grants have made a difference in 
the lives of women and their families.
  Authorization of this critical set of programs expires in just four 
days. It would simply be irresponsible of this body to fail to 
reauthorize this important legislation before adjourning. I urge my 
colleagues to support the legislation.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 1 minute to the 
honorable gentleman from Texas (Mr. Doggett).
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
legislation, which reauthorizes the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 
headquartered in my hometown of Austin, Texas.
  This hotline has seen a steady rise in its calls from around the 
country that it so effectively handles. In 3 years, the number of calls 
has almost doubled to over 142,000 each year. Hotline Director, Shun 
Thompson, and her staff have capably ensured that those in crisis are 
referred to local community services across America.
  Further, this legislation is vital to community organizations like 
SafePlace in Austin, so ably led by Executive Director Kelly White and 
Board Chairman Donna Stockton Hicks. The professional staff and 
numerous community volunteers at SafePlace provide a number of 
innovative programs in addition to the traditional counseling, domestic 
violence emergency shelters and transitional housing.
  One of these is ``Expect Respect,'' a program that focuses on raising 
respect and preventing domestic violence among our youngest Austinites 
in elementary and secondary schools.
  Because today's bill has been presented under a procedure that 
permits no amendments, I am unable to offer my proposal, the ``Domestic 
Violence Economic Security Act,'' which would authorize temporary 
unemployment compensation for those victims of domestic violence who 
have a reasonable fear of violence in the workplace. It ensures that no 
victim who leaves a job because of a reasonable fear of violence is 
denied help.
  In this country, a woman is battered every 15 seconds--nearly 6,000 
women a day. This public health problem must be given top priority, and 
we can begin that focus by reauthorizing the ``Violence Against Women 
Act.'' But there

[[Page H8100]]

is so much more work on domestic violence for the next Congress to 
undertake.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 1 minute to the 
distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. Ose).
  (Mr. OSE asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. OSE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding me the time. 
In the interest of time constraints, I will be brief.
  Mr. Speaker, I do want to note that I am a strong advocate and 
cosponsor of this bill. It is interesting. I have three older sisters 
and two young daughters; and we need to bring an end to this violence 
against women.
  The bill itself, under the guidance of the gentlewoman from Maryland 
(Mrs. Morella) who, by the way, is to be commended for her strong 
advocacy of bringing this to the floor, will give us another leg up on 
curing this problem and finally providing some safety and security to 
women in our country who otherwise might have to face this terrible 
scourge.
  Mr. Speaker, in the United States, rape, sexual assault, domestic 
violence and stalking affect the lives of millions of women each year 
regardless of financial means, race, religion, or country of origin. 
Violence not only affects women in their homes, but in their workplace, 
schools, and every arena of their lives. The effects of such violence 
is felt not only by each individual woman, but by their children, 
families, loved ones, employers, and communities.
  Five years ago, Congress passed and the President signed into law, 
the Violence Against Women Act as part of the 1994 Crime Act. At that 
time, VAWA began an ongoing, comprehensive agenda to address violence 
against women.
  The enactment of VAWA marked the first time that the federal 
government committed funds and law enforcement to join state and local 
entities within the justice system in responding to violence against 
women.
  Congress now has the opportunity to continue and extend the fine 
programs within VAWA.
  The National Domestic Violence Hotline, battered women shelters, 
training for judges and other court personnel, counseling services, and 
child abuse prevention programs all benefit from H.R. 1248. Today's 
bill enhances the original VAWA by including authorization for new 
programs regarding dating violence, elder and disabled abuse, 
transitional housing, full faith and credit for protection orders, and 
supervised visitation centers.
  Reauthorizing this legislation will continue the Congressional 
commitment to making our streets and homes safe for women and children.
  I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.

                              {time}  1315

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Maloney), cochair of the Women's 
Caucus.
  (Mrs. MALONEY of New York asked and was given permission to revise 
and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for 
yielding the time and for his leadership.
  With the Violence Against Women Act set to expire and with the 106th 
Congress coming to a close, it is critical that we act today to pass 
it. The Violence Against Women Act is the most important legislative 
action before Congress that has been endorsed by the bipartisan Women's 
Caucus.
  Enacted in 1994, VAWA has already provided crucial judicial and law 
enforcement training on violence against women, shelters for abused 
women, a national hotline with over 13,000 contacts each month, and 
child abuse prevention programs across this country.
  The committee acted to expand it in several ways this year, and I am 
pleased that my bill, the Older Americans Protection from Violence Act, 
was included in the underlying mark which has grant programs and 
aspects that specifically address older and disabled women.
  I also would like to join in thanking the Democratic leadership who 
more than 2 weeks ago sent a letter to Speaker Hastert demanding a vote 
on this bill, as have many Members of Congress.
  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record that letter and an editorial in 
support of this legislation.


                                               Washington, DC,

                                               September 20, 2000.
     Hon. Dennis Hastert,
     Speaker of the House, The Capitol, Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. Speaker: We are writing to urge immediate 
     consideration of H.R. 1248, The Violence Against Women Act, 
     before the 106th Congress adjourns. H.R. 1248 currently has 
     233 co-sponsors with strong bi-partisan support.
       The Violence Against Women Act was originally passed in 
     1994 as an amendment to the omnibus Crime Bill. The act 
     authorized over a billion dollars to states for law-
     enforcement grants, judicial training, shelters, a national 
     hotline, child abuse and prevention programs. Thousand of 
     victims from every state, race, and socio-economic level have 
     relied on these services for protection from violence for 
     themselves and their children. We believe that VAWA has saved 
     lives and helped to re-build even more. Without re-
     authorizing this program by its expiration in October of this 
     year, every state risks losing millions of dollars for 
     existing programs.
       As you may recall, the Congressional Caucus for Women's 
     Issues met with you earlier this year to discuss this bill, 
     which remains one of our top priorities.
       The bill passed the House Judiciary Committee by voice 
     vote. Several key amendments were added and approved by the 
     full Committee, but the bill has yet to reach the House 
     floor. As you know, jurisdiction over the re-authorization 
     bill is also held by the Committee on Education and Workforce 
     and the Committee on Commerce.
       We urge you to schedule a vote by the full House before the 
     end of this session.
           Sincerely,
     Carolyn B. Maloney
       and 81 others.
                                  ____


               [From the Washington Post, Sept. 26, 2000]

                          Inexplicable Neglect

       There seems to be no good reason, practical or substantive, 
     to oppose reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. 
     Originally passed in 1994, the act provides money to state 
     and local institutions to help combat domestic violence. It 
     is set to expire at the end of the month. Its reauthorization 
     has overwhelming bipartisan support. But House and Senate 
     leaders have yet to schedule a vote.
       Versions of the bill have been favorably reported by the 
     judiciary committees of both chambers. Both would expand 
     programs that during the past five years have helped create 
     an infrastructure capable of prosecuting domestic violence 
     cases and providing services to battered women. Since the 
     original act was passed, Congress has devoted $1.5 billion to 
     programs created by it. The House and Senate bills differ, 
     but both would authorize more than $3 billion in further 
     support during the next five years. There is room to debate 
     the proper funding level relative to other priorities, a 
     matter which will be determined later by appropriators; and 
     the programs won't end immediately if the act lapses, because 
     funds have been approved for the coming year. But failing to 
     reauthorize would send the wrong message on an important 
     issue and, more important, could threaten future 
     appropriations.
       With time in the 106th Congress running out, the Violence 
     Against Women Act may become a casualty of neglect rather 
     than of active opposition. But that's no comfort. Congress 
     ought to find the time to pass it before leaving town.

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky).
  Ms. SCHAKOWSKY. Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank the 
gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) and the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Conyers) for their years of outstanding leadership on the 
Violence Against Women Act and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) 
for his leadership as well.
  In my home State of Illinois, VAWA has meant over $40 million for 
programs that protect hundreds of thousands of women, children and men 
who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking. I am 
also pleased that H.R. 1248 includes language from a bill I introduced, 
H.R. 1352, to fund transitional housing programs for women escaping 
abuse.
  In 1994 with the historic passage of VAWA, Congress sent a clear 
message to this Nation that violence against women is not just wrong, 
it is a crime. But there were gaps in VAWA 1994 that are addressed in 
this legislation today. We can still do more. It is my hope that when 
this bill goes to conference, the conferees will accept the Senate's 
language that provides desperately needed protections for battered 
women.
  But the clock is ticking. These critical programs expire in only a 
few days. I urge everyone to vote for H.R. 1248.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentlewoman from 
Indiana (Ms. Carson), who has worked very hard on the measure.
  Ms. CARSON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. 
Conyers) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) in the bipartisan 
support of H.R. 1248, for which I am a cosponsor. I appreciate very 
much the expeditious movement now of H.R. 1248

[[Page H8101]]

prior to the expiration of the authorization on September 30, 2000.
  Without being redundant, let me give Members two cases in point that 
occurred in my district. One woman had gone down to get a protective 
order against a perpetrator of violence against her and her children. 
She was at a day care center while the prosecutors and the police 
department released the perpetrator out on home monitoring devices at 
which time he went out and assaulted the woman and killed her in front 
of several other children.
  Domestic violence has a perpetual effect, not just the victim who is 
injured but people in her family, in her environment and in her 
surroundings. I like the fact that this expansion of H.R. 1248 now 
includes assistance for immigrants, sexual assault training, and the 
inclusion of stalking and domestic violence data into crime statistics.
  I urge Members' support. I appreciate the bipartisan nature of which 
this bill has moved forward.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pascrell).
  Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for 
yielding me this time. I would also like to thank him for his 
leadership and the leadership of the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. 
Morella) for their advocacy on behalf of women who are victims of 
domestic abuse and violence. I praise their efforts. They are 
absolutely laudatory in my comments.
  This bill reauthorizes a number of important programs that will 
improve the quality of life for millions of women and children. It 
reauthorizes programs that make a real difference in our communities, 
like the STOP grants, the national domestic violence outline, battered 
women's shelters, and rape crisis centers.
  Just a little while ago, I visited the Passaic County Women's Center 
in my district. I saw firsthand how the original Violence Against Women 
Act has provided assistance to women in my district. Violence committed 
against 500,000 women each year does not discriminate. Women who are 
victims of violence are rich and poor, young and old, disabled and 
physically healthy, speak little or no English or the Queen's English.
  I urge the passage of this legislation.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to yield 1 minute to the 
gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Romero-Barcelo), the former governor of 
Puerto Rico.
  Mr. ROMERO-BARCELO. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan 
(Mr. Conyers) for yielding me this time.
  I rise in strong support for the Violence Against Women Act. 
Authorization for this program will end October 1, and it is important 
that we reauthorize it so the critical programs administered under the 
act will continue to receive adequate levels of funding.
  Mr. Speaker, each year more than 1 million acts of intimate-partner 
violence occur. Eighty-five percent of these assaults are committed 
against women. Women are two to three times more likely to be seriously 
or fatally injured in acts of sexual assault and domestic violence than 
men. Because women are disproportionately the victims of sexual 
assaults, it is appropriate and necessary that we target most of our 
funding for sexual assaults for women. As a child, I was taught by my 
mother that to hit a woman was a cowardly act and that a man who would 
hit a woman was a coward.
  The Violence Against Women Act funds such important programs as the 
national domestic violence hotline, rape prevention education, youth 
education, and domestic violence and battered women's shelters and 
services. Women urgently need domestic and sexual assault services. The 
Violence Against Women Act has laid the groundwork to provide these 
services. It is critical that we build upon this foundation by 
reauthorizing this act before this legislation session concludes.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Hoyer).
  Mr. HOYER. I thank the gentleman for yielding me this time.
  Ladies and gentlemen of this House, over a quarter of a century ago 
as president of the Maryland Senate, I led an effort to revise 
extensively the sexual offense statutes of the State of Maryland. Those 
statutes were premised on the perception of women as chattel, as 
somehow less than subject to full protection of the law, particularly 
from their spouses and intimate partners.
  We amended those statutes very substantially. We passed violence 
against women. Millions and millions of women this day throughout the 
world will be subjected to violent acts because of their gender. They 
are perceived by their societies to be subject by their male 
counterparts to such treatment.
  It is critically important that we pass overwhelmingly this statute 
and make a very strong statement to everybody in America and everybody 
around the world that we respect individuals for their individuality. 
Pass this bill.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from 
Maine (Mr. Baldacci).
  Mr. BALDACCI. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Michigan for 
yielding me this time, and I thank him for his leadership and the 
leadership of the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) also in 
advancing this along with the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde).
  This is a serious national problem stretching coast to coast. This 
needs to be reauthorized. In my own State of Maine, we needed to 
undertake a raising of the priority of this into a crime and 
recognizing with law enforcement and court personnel that women needed 
to make sure that these laws were being enforced.
  The resources from this act give badly needed moneys to States so 
that they can develop shelters and protections in transition, so people 
can move out of that, and particularly women and children, because the 
impact is onto the family and onto the children; and it is happening 
generation after generation after generation.
  I want to commend the authors and tell them how vitally important it 
is in working at this and to let those perpetrators know that 
bipartisanly we stand together, it is important, it is a crime and it 
should not be happening. I urge the passage of this.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I believe that this measure, passed unanimously out of the Committee 
on the Judiciary, has reached a point where we can pass it just in the 
nick of time before the September 30 expiration. As we celebrate this 
moment, could we remember that it is merely a step in the right 
direction. There is a lot more to do. There are still those in law 
enforcement and on the bench in the judiciary who still are not fully 
apprised of the seriousness of the violence against women, particularly 
wives and girlfriends who are still subject to so much violence.
  There is more we can do with our immigrant women who have been 
virtually ignored up until this legislation. There are steps yet to be 
made. I am hoping that all of those that support this measure will join 
with us to work in the next Congress on the next steps that we need to 
take to support the measure Violence Against Women.
  I thank all those who have participated. Our staffs have been 
remarkably effective in this. The Members have been enumerated already.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I just want to thank the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) 
once more for her incredible leadership. I want to thank the gentleman 
from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) for his staunch support and suggest that 
not every problem requires a Federal solution, but violence against 
women and against children is so pervasive, it is so shameful and so 
cowardly that a Federal approach to this is entirely appropriate. This 
is an excellent one. It is only the beginning, as the gentleman from 
Michigan said.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge everyone to support this excellent legislation.
  Mr. LARSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the 
reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. The act, which was 
passed into law by a Democratic Congress as part of the 1994 Crime 
Bill, is a powerful testament to the commitment of the United States 
and this Congress to fighting acts of brutality and cruelty perpetrated 
against women.

[[Page H8102]]

  The act includes issues that are vital to the safety of every woman 
in America, including domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. 
It also includes education and training for judges and funding for 
programs that are so necessary to protecting the well being of women 
that the true worth of the program cannot be measured in dollars.
  Although tremendous strides have been made, domestic violence still 
devastates the lives of many women and their children. Nearly 900,000 
women experience violence at the hands of a partner every year. Nearly 
one-third of women murdered each year are killed by a partner, and 
violence by intimates accounts for over 20% of all violent crimes 
against women.
  Reauthorization would continue and expand the domestic violence 
hotline, the battered women's shelter programs, and rape prevention 
programs as well as expand the investigation and prosecution of violent 
crimes against women. It would also provide assistance to a greater 
number of victims and support effective partnerships between law 
enforcement, victims' advocates, and communities.
  I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this authorization that is 
so important to the lives of so many women and children so that we may 
continue to provide services and assistance that not only improves, but 
can also sometimes save a woman's life.
  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of passage 
of H.R. 1248, the Violence Against Women Act, of which I am a proud co-
sponsor. I am glad that we will finally have an opportunity to vote on 
this vital legislation. I only hope that it is not too late for this 
bill to be considered in the Senate and agreed to in conference before 
the adjournment of the 106th Congress. It is a pity that consideration 
of this bill, which enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support, was 
unnecessarily delayed.
  The passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994 was one 
of the greatest accomplishments of the 103rd Congress and the Clinton-
Gore Administration. Since 1995, VAWA grants have provided a major 
source of funding for national and local programs to reduce rape, 
stalking, and domestic violence. The 1994 Act bolstered the prosecution 
of child abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence cases; provided 
services for victims by funding shelters and sexual assault crisis 
centers; increased resources for law enforcement and prosecutors; and 
created a National Domestic Violence Hotline.
  The bill has been credited with helping to produce a 21 percent 
decline in domestic violence between 1993 and 1998.
  H.R. 1248 vastly improves VAWA by strengthening the existing 
provisions and by adding new provisions to address dating violence, 
reach underserved populations, facilitate enforcement of state and 
tribal protective orders nationwide, provide transitional housing, 
create programs for supervised visitation and exchange for children, 
develop training programs on elder abuse for law enforcement personnel 
and prosecutors, provide civil legal assistance funds, strengthen the 
National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and more.
  I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this legislation, which saves 
and rebuilds women's and children's lives.
  Mr. CROWLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the reauthorization of 
H.R. 1248, the Violence Against Women Act. I am pleased to see that the 
Republican leadership has finally brought this piece of bipartisan 
legislation to the floor.
  Today, the U.S. Department of Justice estimates that between 1 and 4 
million women are the victims of domestic and sexual violence in this 
country each year. Domestic violence is the number one health risk for 
women between the ages of 15 and 44 and currently, women are 
disproportionately the victims of violence in the United States.
  Since the authorization of this bill in 1994, violence against women 
has declined significantly. But this is not enough. The Department of 
Justice still estimates that a woman is beaten every 12 seconds in this 
country. As long as statistics such as these exist, Congress should 
take all necessary measures to help ensure the safety and well being of 
women in this country.
  I am pleased to support the reauthorization of this legislation. Over 
the next five years, it will reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act 
in order to maintain and expand the domestic violence hotlines, 
battered women's shelter programs and rape prevention programs. In 
addition, VAWA will expand the investigation and prosecution of violent 
crimes against women, provide assistance to a greater number of victims 
and support effective partnerships between law enforcement officials, 
victims' advocates and communities. I am also pleased to announce that 
my home state of New York will receive $92,661,673 as a result of this 
reauthorization to help aid the victims of domestic and sexual 
violence.
  I believe that now is time for this body to move to help protect the 
women of this country. We cannot continue to turn a deaf ear to the 
problem of domestic violence anymore.
  Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I express my strong support of 
the Violence Against Women Act. This Act reflects my belief that we 
have not only the ability to protect members of our communities, but 
the responsibility to do so. In this case, these members are our 
mothers and daughters, our sisters and friends, and ourselves.
  The passage of the Violence Against Women Act will change individual 
lives. We will reduce domestic violence by reauthorizing funds for 
battered women's shelters and a National Domestic Violence Hotline. We 
will decrease the incidence of stalking and sexual assault by funding 
crime databases and establishing a National Resource Center on Sexual 
Assault. We will help heal the emotional scars of these crimes by 
offering the services of victim counselors. I believe we can do all of 
this, and we must.
  The passage of the Violence Against Women Act will also change 
communities. VAWA includes provisions for funding local initiatives to 
address violence against women. This local involvement demonstrates 
that we can change the conditions that make women and children feel 
vulnerable or threatened and thus foster a new sense of security for 
all. In doing so, we also send a message to communities worldwide that 
violence against women deserves attention and action.
  I ask my colleagues to listen carefully to all of the women and 
members of their families and communities who ask for this bill 
passage, and to add your voices to theirs. I am proud to add mine.
  Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of re-
authorization of the Violence Against Women Act.
  We passed this act as part of the Democratic Crime bill in 1994 and 
that was a critical first step in recognizing and addressing the 
problems of domestic violence.
  When we passed that act, the statistics on domestic violence were 
startling: In 1994, 40% of women admitted to the hospital for injuries 
were there because of violence from a spouse or significant other. 
Battery was the single major cause of injury to women--more than rape, 
muggings and auto accidents combined. Even more distressing is the 
consensus that only a fraction of all incidents of abuse are reported 
to the police. Research shows that women are being abused not only at 
home, but at their place of work. This violence is also perpetrated 
against young women at colleges and universities.
  In late 1994, I put in place a local domestic violence task force, 
bringing together community leaders, prosecutors, law enforcement 
officials, as well as representatives from some of the leading domestic 
violence organizations in my district in Missouri. So far, my home 
state has received over $15 million in federal funding as a result of 
this act.
  And my constituents have consistently sent a simple message about 
this law: it works. It works in Missouri because it is making a real 
difference in the day-to-day struggle to combat domestic violence in 
St. Louis City, south St. Louis County, Jefferson County, and Ste. 
Genevieve County. In fact, we have come up with a number of 
improvements on this measure, improvements that will make it even more 
effective. I look forward to working in Congress to make these changes 
next year.
  I am glad that the Republican party has finally brought this measure 
to the floor, and that it has done so before the authorization expires 
later this week. Today's vote, which I urge everyone here to support, 
reaffirms America's commitment to fighting domestic violence in every 
community. It sends a message that this society will do everything it 
can to fight this scourge--to make sure communities have the resources 
they need--and that women have the protections they deserve.
  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this 
bill. It is late in coming, but better a little late than too late.
  We all know Congress is falling behind in its work. Most of the 
annual appropriations bills have not been finished. Campaign finance 
reform remains stalled. We have not provided a prescription drug 
benefit under Medicare. We have not done enough to help our schools or 
to help our communities cope with growth and sprawl. We have not 
resolved our differences over taxes. And until today the House has not 
acted to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act--``VAWA''--which is 
set to expire at the end of this week.
  VAWA is very important for Colorado. Through last year, our state 
received almost $15 million in VAWA grants. That money has helped 
assist victims of domestic violence, but it has also done much more.
  In fact, according to a letter from our Attorney General, Ken 
Salazar, and his colleagues from other states, VAWA ``has enabled us to 
maximize the effectiveness of our state programs that have made a 
critical difference in the lives of women and children endangered by 
domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking,''

[[Page H8103]]

  VAWA is also important for our country. It has made a difference in 
the lives of millions of women by aiding in the prosecution of cases of 
domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse, by increasing 
services for victims and resources for law enforcement personnel, and 
by establishing a National Domestic Violence Hotline.
  Partly as a result, crimes against women have decreased by 27% since 
VAWA's enactment.
  But more remains to be done. More women are injured by domestic 
violence each year than by automobile accidents and cancer combined. 
More than one-third of all women using emergency rooms are victims of 
domestic violence. In 1997 more than 250,000 women and children sought 
refuge from domestic violence in women's shelters. More than 300,000 
sexual assaults were perpetrated against women in 1998 alone. And every 
year more than one million women are targeted by stalkers.
  Because I strongly support renewing and strengthening this vital 
measure, I have joined in cosponsoring H.R. 1248, the bipartisan VAWA 
reauthorization bill that is now before the House. It is supported by 
the Administration and more than 200 Members of the House.
  The judiciary Committee approved the bill by a unanimous voice vote 
on June 27th--a full three months ago--and the bill is only now 
reaching the floor, even though many less important measures have been 
considered. But, at last, it is here and I urge all Members to join me 
in approving it.
  If it is approved, it then will be up to the members of the Senate to 
take the next vital step. They should promptly send this bill to the 
President for signing into law--because VAWA is too important to be 
allowed to die from neglect.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 
1248, legislation to reauthorize the historic Violence Against Women 
Act (VAWA) of 1994.
  A husband in the presence of his children strikes his wife, sending 
her to the floor and blackening her eye. A woman changes her job, phone 
number, apartment building and with them, her life, in order to hide 
from a stalker. A young woman out jogging on a beautiful late-summer 
evening is pulled into the woods and sexually assaulted by a stranger.
  All of these frightening things will happen in America today. It's 
hard to understand why someone would choose to purposely hurt a woman--
or a child, for that matter. But it happens--more than we care to 
think.
  Violence against women is a large, often unrecognized, and too 
frequently ignored problem in all of our communities. According to the 
U.S. Department of Justice, nearly one in three women experiences at 
least one physical assault at the hands of a partner. In 1998, nearly 3 
out of 4 victims of intimate partner homicide were women. Approximately 
1 million are stalked annually. In 1998 alone, an estimated 307,000 
women were raped or sexually assaulted.
  Six years ago, Congress passed milestone legislation to combat 
domestic violence, stalking and sexual assaults. This legislation, 
which we are discussing today, is the Violence Against Women Act. VAWA 
has been successful in achieving its mission. Statistics show that 
violence against women by intimate partners has fallen an astounding 21 
percent since enactment of this Act.
  The murder rate of partners also is down, with 1,830 murders 
attributed to intimate partners in 1998 compared to over 3,000 murders 
in 1976. As a result of funding allocated under VAWA, more than 300,000 
women and their dependents each year are able to escape their batterers 
and find a better life by temporarily going to a local shelter. In my 
home state of Illinois, the number of reported criminal sexual assaults 
declined 8.2 percent between 1997 and 1998.
  But falling statistics, while good news, are not good enough. 
Violence continues daily to devastate the lives of thousands of women 
and children. This clearly sends a signal that Congress must keep its 
commitment to making our streets and homes safe for women and children. 
And that calls for reauthorizing and strengthening VAWA, which is 
exactly what this body should do today.
  As written, H.R. 1248 authorizes $3 billion over the next years to 
fund various programs that help state and local efforts to: prosecute 
abusers; enforce domestic violence and stalking laws; train law 
enforcement and judicial personnel on how to handle such cases; and 
provide a hotline and counseling services to battered women. In 
addition to continuing these important services, H.R. 1248 strengthens 
the existing Act by authorizing funding for a new transitional housing 
assistance program to help persons fleeing a domestic abuse situation 
and adding clarifying language that allows money under the Act to be 
used for date violence prevention. It authorizes $10 million in new 
funding to help prevent violence against women with disabilities and an 
additional $200,000 for training medical personnel in sexual assault 
identification techniques as well.
  Mr. Speaker, scratch the surface of any of our nation's most 
challenging social problems--from crime in schools to gang violence and 
homelessness--and you're likely to find the root cause is domestic 
violence. Our country's judges are beginning to find that children 
first seen in their courts as victims of domestic violence return later 
as adult criminal defendants.
  Local law enforcement officials are reporting that domestic violence 
situations are among their most frequent calls. Businesses from 
California to Maine are starting to recognize that domestic violence, 
in the form of absenteeism and reduced employee productivity, has 
tremendous economic costs. Schools are noticing that children with 
emotional problems often come from environments where violence is the 
norm.
  What does this tell us? It tells us that violence begets violence, 
and it is incumbent on all of us to try to break the cycle. By 
strengthening families, promoting strong values, and encouraging 
community involvement, that's exactly what the Violence Against Women 
Act helps us to do.
  Reauthorizing VAWA is a vital investment in this nation's future and 
it should be one of our highest priorities. Reauthorizing this Act is 
also the right thing to do, and I urge my colleagues to move this 
effort forward by voting for H.R. 1248.
  Let me conclude by commending the Chairman of the House Judiciary 
Committee, my colleague from Illinois, Mr. Hyde, for his strong support 
of H.R. 1248 and for his work in getting it to the floor for 
consideration. I also commend a real champion of women's issues--
Representative Connie Morella of Maryland--for sponsoring this crucial 
legislation. I also thank the co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus for 
Women's Issues--Representative Sue Kelly and Carolyn Maloney of New 
York--for all their hard work on promoting this legislation. Finally, 
let me extend my gratitude to the members of my violence against women 
advisory committee back in Illinois for their input and useful advice.
  Mr. BENTSEN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1248 which 
would reauthorize the Violence Against Womens Act (VAWA), landmark 
legislation that has made a difference in the lives of children, women 
and families. As an early cosponsor of H.R. 1248, I am relieved that 
this measure has been brought to the floor before its authorization 
expires in five short days.
  Enacted in 1994, as part of the Omnibus Crime Bill, VAWA provided for 
new federal criminal provisions and grant programs to improve the 
criminal justice system's response to domestic violence and sexual 
assault and stalking, and to provide critical services to victims. 
Since passage, the Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services 
have awarded over $1.6 billion in VAWA grants nationwide. VAWA grants 
provide critical support for the work of prosecutors, law enforcement 
officials, the courts, victims' advocates, health care and social 
service professionals, and intervention and prevention programs. The 
domestic violence hotline established under VAWA has logged over half a 
million calls.
  Despite the advances we have made under VAWA, domestic violence still 
devastates the lives of many women and children with nearly 900,000 
women experiencing violence at the hands of their partners every year. 
Even today, with the heightened attention domestic violence receives, 
nearly one-third of women murdered each year die at the hands of their 
partners.
  In addition to reauthorizing VAWA for five years, H.R. 1248, as 
approved, expands numerous programs, such as a domestic violence 
hotline, law enforcement grants for victims' services, prosecution of 
perpetrators of violence, battered women's shelters and services, 
counselors, rape prevention education, programs against stalkers, and 
other related services.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 1248, 
legislation to reauthorize VAWA, a vital part of the campaign against 
violence and crime. Moreover, Mr. Speaker, I would also urge the 
Republican leadership to build on H.R. 1248 and make the Violence 
Against Women Office at the U.S. Department of Justice permanent, by 
statute, as provided for under H.R. 4848.
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, since enactment of the Violence 
Against Women Act in 1994, the number of forcible rapes of women have 
declined, and the number of sexual assaults nationwide have gone down 
as well.
  The Justice Department's states nearly 25 percent of surveyed women 
and about 7 percent of surveyed men say they have been raped and or 
physically assaulted by a current or former spouse or partner at some 
time in their lives. This figure, however, is a conservative one that 
substantially understates the actual number of families affected by 
domestic

[[Page H8104]]

violence because battering is usually not reported until it reaches 
life-threatening proportions. In fact, some researches estimate that 
one of every two women will be battered at some time in their life.
  In Illinois, the Chicago Police Department, the Cook County States 
Attorney's Office and various other community and government agencies 
have developed the necessary infrastructure, as a result of the passage 
of the Violence Against Women Act in 1994.
  Mr. Speaker the Violence Against Women Act works. In fact, a recent 
Justice report found that intimate partner violence against women 
decreased by 21 percent from 1993 to 1998. This is strong evidence that 
the state and community efforts born from this act are working. Despite 
the success of the Violence Against Women Act, domestic abuse and 
violence against women continues to plague our communities.
  The Violence Against Women Act must be reauthorized to allow these 
efforts to continue without having to worry that this funding will be 
lost from year to year.
  Mr. Speaker I urge every member of this body to vote for this bill.
  Mr. CASTLE. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in strong support of 
H.R. 1248, legislation to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.
  No woman should have to worry that she will be abused, but studies 
show that almost 1.9 million women are physically assaulted each year--
many times at the hands of a husband or boyfriend. Tragically, the 
correlation between domestic violence and child abuse is very high. 
Even if a child is not physically battered, he or she often does poorly 
in school, repeats the pattern of either victim or abuser as an adult 
and is more prone to a variety of emotional problems.
  Although the overall violent crime rate has dropped 27 percent from 
52 to 38 incidents per 1,000 persons, there were more than 30 women and 
children that were killed in domestic violence related homicides over 
the last three years in my state of Delaware alone. For these women and 
children, it is clear that more needs to be done to ensure that our 
mothers, sisters, and daughters are safe in their homes and in their 
communities.
  I was proud to play a role in the passage of the original Violence 
Against Women Act, as part of the Violent Crime Control Act of 1994. A 
bipartisan coalition of members worked to break the stalemate on the 
Crime Bill and get it signed into law. A key part of that legislation 
was the Violence Against Women Act. It was enacted to authorize 
programs to support the prosecution of violent crimes against women, 
encourage arrests in domestic violence incidents, support rural 
domestic violence and child abuse enforcement, support rape prevention 
and education and provide funding for battered women's shelters. The 
legislation before us today renews and expands the original Act to 
include some new programs, which includes funds to help victims and 
their children flee domestic abuse and then move them from shelters to 
self-sufficiency.
  I believe that this legislation--and the original Violence Against 
Women Act--will continue to reduce the levels of violence committed by 
boyfriends and spouses and free women and their children from a life of 
abuse, and I am pleased to support its passage by the House today.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1248, the 
Violence Against Women Act of 2000 which would re-authorize the 1994 
Violence Against Women Act. Part of President Clinton's 1994 Crime Act, 
this legislation has been a turning point in our national response to 
the problems of domestic violence and sexual assault. I urge passage of 
H.R. 1248 so that our nation can continue to address these problems.
  Mr. Speaker, if we have learned anything in the last several years 
about violence against women, we have learned that no one is immune to 
the effects of these crimes. Domestic and sexual violence can be 
stopped only when we forge a unified front to combat them. The Violence 
Against Women Act has worked and can continue to work as an effective 
catalyst for states and communities to share resources and to 
collaborate in providing services. Under this legislation, the Violence 
Against Women Grants Office has allocated millions of dollars in 
Federal Funds to states to support partnerships among law enforcement, 
prosecution, the courts, victims' advocates, and providers of health 
care and other services across the country.
  We must continue and expand these vital programs. H.R. 1248 provides 
$3.7 billion to fund over 40 provisions for five years. Of this amount, 
$1.1 billion will be allocated to fund and improve existing shelter 
services and provide increased financial support for rape crisis 
centers and over $1 billion dollars will be used for constructing new 
shelters for battered women. Other major elements of the bill address 
the needs of battered women in the workplace, focus on sexual assault 
on college campuses and in the military, establish new programs for 
victims services and fund training for judges.
  Mr. Speaker, the 1994 Violence Against Women Act has been a proven 
success in helping women across the country to deal with this terrible 
tragedy of domestic violence. To continue the success, I strongly urge 
my colleagues to support H.R. 1248.
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong support 
for the reauthorization of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act. I urge 
the House to pass this vital legislation as soon as possible. Although 
the House Republican Leadership has inexcusably delayed bringing up 
this bill until four days before the law was due to expire, I am very 
pleased that we finally have the opportunity to act on this important 
measure.
  Last month, I had the opportunity to visit domestic violence and 
sexual assault shelters in my district to see firsthand how the federal 
government plays a key role in the fight against domestic violence. I 
personally met with victims, and I spoke directly with the Directors of 
these shelters that provide refuge and crisis-management services to 
thousands of women, children and families in my district who have 
suffered from domestic violence and sexual assault.
  Kim Gauss, the director of the Wesley Shelter in Wilson County, North 
Carolina, spoke to me of the importance of taking programs into our 
nation's schools. Both Ms. Gauss and Ms. Susan King, the Executive 
Director of Haven Shelter in Lee County, North Carolina emphasized the 
importance of educating our youth about the cyclical effects of 
violence. Although children may not bear obvious bruises and scars, 
those who witness violence inside their homes learn that anger equals 
violence and that too often adults use violence to solve problems. 
These children often experience severe anxiety and helplessness and 
they often have problems with anger management and almost always have a 
marked decrease in school performance.
  By educating and empowering our children and giving them the tools 
and resources they need to combat the damaging physical and 
psychological effects of violence, we can increase the likelihood that 
the cycle of violence will end with them. Without this funding, many 
shelters like those in my rural district of Eastern North Carolina 
would be unable to provide the essential crisis and preventative 
services our communities so desperately need. Many would be forced to 
shut their doors altogether.
  This past year, the State of North Carolina received $3.5 million in 
funding under the Violence Against Women Act. This funding provided 
shelters like the Haven and Wesley Shelters in North Carolina with the 
necessary resources to cope with family violence and sexual assault. 
And it allowed shelters like My Sister's House in Rocky Mount, North 
Carolina and the SAFE shelter in Lillington, North Carolina to serve 
thousands of North Carolina residents.
  Reauthorization of this Act is an essential step in our battle 
against violence. Through the community-based services they provide, 
domestic violence and sexual assault shelters across the nation 
strengthen the social fabric that binds all of us together.
  Gone forever should be the days when domestic violence was swept 
under the rug as a family matter. Domestic violence is not just a 
family matter. Domestic violence is a crime. It is a crisis, and there 
is no excuse for failure to act. I call on my colleagues to vote to 
pass this important bill without a delay. America's families are 
depending on it.
  Mr. KIND. Mr. Speaker, nearly 1.5 million women are the victims of 
domestic violence and nearly one in every three adult women experience 
at least one physical assault by a partner during adulthood. We must 
not only remain committed to fighting sexual abuse, domestic violence 
and rape, but also improve our efforts on behalf of these victims. I am 
proud to be a cosponsor of this legislation H.R. 1248, which would 
reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. This bill would authorize 
more than $3 billion in funding and add new programs, including a new 
temporary housing grant that would provide funding to help women move 
out of shelters, a new grant for legal assistance to women who have 
been victims of violence, and grants authorizing help for disabled 
women victims.
  VAWA has significantly strengthened domestic violence shelters and 
services to battered women and children throughout my state of 
Wisconsin and across the United States. The Wisconsin Coalition Against 
Domestic Violence and the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, 
through the programs in VAWA, have aided thousands of women in my state 
and help them cope and survive the tragedies of violence against women. 
As a former prosecutor in my home state of Wisconsin, responsible for 
prosecuting domestic violence, child abuse, adult and child sexual 
assault cases, I've seen first hand the scourge and scars domestic 
violence creates.
  We are at an important point in our history, a time when the leaders 
of our nation have

[[Page H8105]]

made a commitment to stop violence against women and children. Through 
the many projects and programs developed through VAWA funding, we have 
just begun to clearly articulate the impact of sexual assault and 
domestic violence on our country. This legislation is critical in 
maintaining the federal commitment to ending this problem in our 
society.
  I want to thank Chairman Hyde and Mr. Conyers and a number of other 
members for their support in bringing this important legislation to the 
floor.
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1248, the 
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and I commend the gentle lady from 
Maryland, Mrs. Morella and my colleague the gentleman from Michigan, 
Mr. Conyers, for their leadership on this issue.
  H.R. 1248 continues the commitment that Congress made in 1990 by 
reauthorizing many critical programs that are used daily by women 
across this country. This bill reauthorizes grants that will be used to 
improve law enforcement and prosecution of violent crimes against 
women, grants to encourage arrests in domestic violence incidents, 
moneys for rural domestic violence and child abuse enforcement, rape 
prevention and education programs, grants for battered women's 
shelters, funding for the national domestic violence hotline and 
stalker reduction programs.
  Moreover, this bill creates new initiatives including transitional 
housing for victims of violence, a pilot program aimed at protecting 
children during visits with a parent who has been accused of domestic 
violence, and protections for the elderly, disabled and immigrant 
women.
  This legislation also includes grant money for a new program that 
will benefit victims of dating violence, which until now has been a 
neglected and underserved population.
  Domestic violence is something which is learned at home and the 
longer that children remain in settings where they witness and 
experience this type of abuse, the more likely they are to become 
abusers or victims or abuse as adults.
  The Violence Against Women Act will help families throughout our 
nation. As a cosponsor of this legislation, I urge my colleagues to 
vote for H.R. 1248.
  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Simpson). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1248, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________