[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 13316]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        SAFE ACT RE-INTRODUCTION

  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, to help address domestic violence in 
our country, I rise to announce the re-introduction of the Security and 
Financial Empowerment Act, or as it is better known, the SAFE Act. 
Domestic violence is a personal and social tragedy that negatively 
impacts all of our society.
  On average, every day in our country, more than three women are 
murdered by their husband or boyfriend, and nearly one-third of 
American women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband 
or boyfriend at some point in their lives.
  The physical and psychological consequences of domestic violence are 
exacerbated by the less obvious economic consequences. For example, one 
of the key reasons survivors stay in or return to an abusive 
environment is because they are financially dependent upon their abuser 
to provide for them and their children. As a result of the abuse, 
employed women often lose their jobs due to frequent tardiness or 
absenteeism or because their abuser stalks and harasses them at work.
  To help break this cycle of violence, I have introduced the SAFE Act 
with representative Ted Poe.
  The SAFE Act would provide employed survivors of domestic violence 
with greater employment protections and increased economic stability.
  Specifically, the SAFE Act would enable the survivors of domestic 
violence to pursue legal assistance, medical care and meet other 
immediate needs associated with violence in their lives without the 
fear of losing their job.
  If survivors of abuse are fired or forced to leave their job as a 
result of the abuse, the SAFE Act makes them eligible for unemployment 
benefits. The SAFE Act also helps employers address the negative impact 
of domestic violence in the workplace.
  While it is true that domestic violence is a personal tragedy, it is 
also true that it has costly negative consequences to employers who pay 
an estimated $3-13 billion a year in sick leave, absenteeism and lost 
productivity.
  The SAFE Act helps businesses save money by helping to reduce 
absenteeism and lost productivity and by enabling businesses to retain 
valuable and experienced employees, thereby avoiding the high cost 
associated with training new staff.
  In summary, the SAFE Act empowers survivors of domestic violence. It 
protects the bottom line of business, and it improves the quality of 
life of our American society.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the many advocacy groups for their support of 
the SAFE Act and for the work they do every day to end domestic and 
sexual violence in our country.
  And I sincerely thank Representative Poe for his cosponsorship, and I 
look forward to working with him and my colleagues in Congress to pass 
the SAFE Act and empower women against the violence in their life.

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