[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 10]
[House]
[Pages 14585-14586]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ECONOMIC SECURITY ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Ballenger). Under the Speaker's 
announced policy of January 19, 1999, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. 
Doggett) is recognized during morning hour debates for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DOGGETT. Mr. Speaker, in November of 1996, Linda Stone was 
fatally shot by her abusive husband in the parking lot of Austin's Oak 
Hill Motorola plant. Her death was tragic for more than the simple 
reason that it occurred unnecessarily.
  Linda Stone was employed at that Motorola plant; and, on the day of 
her death, she was en route to make extra security arrangements with 
her employer because of new threats from her husband. This occurred in 
a community that has been a leader in domestic violence assistance and 
prevention for over two decades.
  I think Our Safe Place enjoys broader community support than any 
public service organization in central Texas. But since stories such as 
Linda are becoming all too commonplace, I am introducing a bill today 
that will give new options to those unfortunate victims who face danger 
in the workplace.
  The Domestic Violence Economic Security Act will provide that no 
State shall deny unemployment assistance solely because a victim has 
left work due to a reasonable fear of domestic violence. This approach 
to the problem was originally suggested to me by my friend, Texas State 
Representative Sheri Greenberg, who sponsored a similar measure in the 
Texas legislature, got it passed in the House, though it did not 
finally make it through the Texas Senate at the conclusion of our 
legislative session.
  We recognize that each year six-and-a-half million acts of violence 
are perpetrated against women, and nearly a million of these occur in 
the work environment. Victims attempting to escape these abusive 
relationships often find themselves most vulnerable where they spend 
the most time, and that is at the workplace. In fact, 96 percent of 
domestic violence victims report that they have had some type of 
problem in the workplace as a result of abuse or their abuser, ranging 
from threatening calls to unwanted and harassing visits.
  For victims who are financially dependent on their job, avoiding 
violence in the workplace can be extremely challenging. A victim 
manages to escape the relationship at home and move out. But giving up 
a job is another thing and even more difficult to change.
  The resulting harassment, of course, hurts both the employer and the 
employee. At least 94 percent of corporate security managers have 
reported that they rank domestic violence as a very high security 
problem in the workplace. Businesses recognize that domestic violence 
is not only harmful to workers who are victims, but it is bad for 
business.
  My bill gives a new alternative to employers and employees confronted 
with violence in the workplace. It ensures that no victim who leaves a 
job because of a reasonable fear of violence

[[Page 14586]]

is denied some assistance. For these victims, unemployment compensation 
would provide a temporary form of financial assistance until a safer 
job can be found. In cases such as Linda Stone's, this monetary support 
could mean the difference between continued abuse and self-sufficiency.
  Second, this bill gives some general guidance to the States that they 
can follow in determining eligibility. They are advised to consider 
factors such as whether the applicant has been offered work at home or 
in a different location, whether a law enforcement officer or health 
care professional has advised them to leave and find a new workplace. 
And the States, of course, could consider other factors that they deem 
relevant. These standards will give our States the means to correctly 
identify and assist the victims who need temporary financial 
assistance.
  Tragically, in this country, every 15 seconds another woman is 
battered. When that violence spills out into the workplace, everyone 
loses. For victims attempting to escape abuse, the Domestic Violence 
Economic Security Act will provide temporary assistance while not 
otherwise affecting the existing unemployment compensation 
requirements.
  Too many victims across our country face a daily struggle of needless 
workplace violence. This bill assures them a safe avenue to self-
sufficiency.

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