[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 7047-7048]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN ACT


                          Transportation Costs

  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I ask permission to engage in a colloquy 
with the Senator from Vermont, Mr. Leahy. I would like to address a 
problem that affects many women who are victims of domestic violence. 
We have addressed a variety of important concerns with the Senate's 
recent passage of the Violence Against Women Act, and I hope the House 
will promptly pass that important, bipartisan bill. A major barrier for 
women seeking services in New Hampshire and across the country is lack 
of transportation. As chairman of the Judiciary Committee and author of 
the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act, you may have 
encountered this issue also.
  Mr. LEAHY. I thank the Senator from New Hampshire for bringing 
attention to this important issue and for all her hard work addressing 
issues of domestic and sexual violence. As a Senator and a prosecutor, 
I have found that transportation is a particular problem for victims of 
domestic and sexual violence who live in rural areas.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. You know well the issues facing rural communities in 
Vermont, as I do in New Hampshire. Domestic violence occurs as 
frequently in rural areas as it does in cities, and many women in rural 
settings do not have access to a car or public transportation.
  Mr. LEAHY. This presents a real safety risk for women.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. It does. When you are a woman in a violent situation, 
not having access to transportation is more than an inconvenience, it 
can be life threatening. One woman in Atkinson, NH, called the local 
crisis center for transportation because her husband would not let her 
have access to the car keys and controlled the family's finances 
entirely. She was simply trapped.
  Mr. LEAHY. Would you agree that the availability of transportation is 
critical to making sure all women have access to the services provided 
by crisis centers, shelters, and other service providers?
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Yes, that is exactly right. The Violence Against Women 
Act provides support for important services like medical treatment, 
counseling, shelter, and legal assistance to seek protective orders. 
Clearly women need to be able to get to these centers in order to take 
advantage of these important resources.
  Mr. LEAHY. Have you found that transportation is something that 
crisis centers are currently able to provide?
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. Many crisis centers that receive grants from VAWA do 
use their general funds to assist women with transportation costs who 
could not otherwise afford them. I believe that is a use of funds 
consistent with the intent of Congress to expand services to all women 
and families who are victims of domestic violence. Do you agree?
  Mr. LEAHY. I agree that helping women access these services is 
absolutely consistent with the intent of the Violence Against Women 
Act.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. And I thank the Senator for including language in the 
reauthorization of VAWA recently passed by the Senate that further 
clarifies that transportation services are an acceptable use of VAWA 
funds. The bill adds language in the new victim services definition in 
section 3 to include ``other related supportive services'' and in 
section 102(a) adds ``other victim services'' to the victim services 
purpose area in the grants to encourage arrest policies and enforcement 
of protection orders. Both of these changes would provide even more 
ability than under current law for VAWA grants to cover crucial 
transportation services.
  Mr. LEAHY. I agree that this language is intended to cover a variety 
of crucial victim services including transportation services.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. I also appreciate the bill's new language emphasizing 
the importance of providing services to women in rural or 
geographically isolated areas. Identifying this particularly vulnerable 
population will be helpful for those centers which focus services on 
women and families in these isolated areas. I believe this provision 
makes clear the intent of Congress to supplement the costs of reaching 
these women and bringing them to safety.
  Mr. LEAHY. I agree that is one of the intents of section 202, which 
focuses on enforcement of domestic violence, stalking and child abuse 
laws for victims and families in rural areas. Transportation is a 
necessary component of enforcing these laws and protecting vulnerable 
women. I am concerned, as I know you are, about what women do when they 
are in a dangerous situation and do not have transportation to get 
away.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. That is a real problem. Many women initially rely on 
the police or an ambulance to remove them from unsafe situations, but 
their problems continue once they reach a shelter or crisis center. 
They have no way to get to court for hearings related to protective 
orders, child custody and divorce. One of the directors of the crisis 
center in Berlin in the North Country

[[Page 7048]]

of New Hampshire spends at least 25 percent of her time taking women to 
and from court. Due to recent State budget cuts, the closest courthouse 
is 45 minutes away. That is a significant investment of time and money.
  Mr. LEAHY. It certainly is. And the Violence Against Women Act aims 
to provide financial support for communities that need it most so they 
can continue to keep women safe.
  Mrs. SHAHEEN. I thank the Senator from Vermont for engaging in this 
colloquy to address the importance of providing transportation services 
to women and families in need. I thank him, too, for his leadership on 
the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act. It has helped so 
many women over the years, and I know it will continue to save the 
lives of women in New Hampshire and across the county.

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