[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6034 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6034
To criminalize stalking using an unauthorized geotracking device,
modify the 10-year marriage rule relating to spouse's and surviving
spouse's insurance benefits in cases of domestic violence, ensure that
healthcare providers can assist survivors of domestic violence, provide
additional housing protections for survivors of domestic violence, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
October 24, 2023
Mrs. Sykes introduced the following bill
October 25, 2023
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the
Committees on Ways and Means, and Financial Services, for a period to
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To criminalize stalking using an unauthorized geotracking device,
modify the 10-year marriage rule relating to spouse's and surviving
spouse's insurance benefits in cases of domestic violence, ensure that
healthcare providers can assist survivors of domestic violence, provide
additional housing protections for survivors of domestic violence, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Safer Homes and Families Act''.
SEC. 2. STALKING PENALTY.
Section 2261A of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``Whoever'' and inserting ``(a) In
General.--Whoever'';
(2) by inserting after ``uses the mail,'' the following:
``uses an unauthorized geotracking device''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(b) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The term `geotracking device' means an electronic or
mechanical device that permits a person to remotely determine
or track the position and movement of another person.
``(2) The term `unauthorized' means, with respect to a
geotracking device, that the person on whom the geotracking
device is being used has not consented to such use or otherwise
revoked consent to such use.''.
SEC. 3. MODIFICATION OF 10-YEAR MARRIAGE RULE IN CASES OF DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE.
(a) In General.--Section 216(d) of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 416(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(9)(A) In the case of a divorced woman described in
paragraph (1) or (2) or a divorced man described in paragraph
(4) or (5) who provides to the Commissioner of Social Security
a finding made by a court of law that the divorced woman or
divorced man was the victim of domestic violence committed by
the spouse during the course of the marriage, such paragraph as
may be applicable with respect to such divorced woman or
divorced man shall be applied for purposes of this title by
substituting `5 years' for `10 years'.
``(B) For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term `domestic
violence' has the meaning given such term in section 40002(a)
of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.''.
(b) Termination of Wife's Insurance Benefits.--Section 202(b) of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(b)) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``(5) In the case of any divorced wife who provides to the
Commissioner of Social Security a finding made by a court of law that
the divorced wife was the victim of domestic violence (as defined in
section 216(d)(9)(B)) committed by the spouse during the course of the
marriage, clause (ii) of paragraph (1)(G) shall be applied by
substituting `5 years' for `10 years'.''.
(c) Termination of Husband's Insurance Benefits.--Section 202(c) of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402(c)) is amended by adding at the
end the following:
``(5) In the case of any divorced husband who provides to the
Commissioner of Social Security a finding made by a court of law that
the divorced husband was the victim of domestic violence (as defined in
section 216(d)(9)(B)) committed by the spouse, clause (ii) of paragraph
(1)(G) shall be applied by substituting `5 years' for `10 years'.''.
(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply with respect to monthly insurance benefits for months beginning
at least 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 4. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM ON TRAUMA-INFORMED, VICTIM-CENTERED
TRAINING FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS.
(a) In General.--Subtitle Q of title IV of the Violent Crime
Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12513 et seq.) is
amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 41702. DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM ON TRAUMA-INFORMED, VICTIM-CENTERED
TRAINING FOR HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS.
``(a) Definitions.--In this section--
``(1) the term `Attorney General' means the Attorney
General, acting through the Director of the Office on Violence
Against Women;
``(2) the term `Secretary'? means the Secretary of the
Department of Health and Human Services;
``(3) the term `covered individual' means an individual who
interfaces with victims of domestic violence, dating violence,
sexual assault, and stalking, including--
``(A) an individual working for or on behalf of an
eligible entity;
``(B) an administrator or personnel of a school,
university, or other educational program or activity
(including a campus police officer or a school resource
officer); and
``(C) an emergency services employee;
``(4) the term `eligible entity' means a facility as
described in paragraph (1), (2), (4), (5), or (6) of section
1624 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300s-3); and
``(5) the term `mandatory partner' means a national,
regional, or local victim services organization or agency
working in collaboration with a facility described in paragraph
(4).
``(b) Grants Authorized.--
``(1) In general.--The Attorney General, in consultation
with the Secretary, shall award grants on a competitive basis
to eligible entities to collaborate with their mandatory
partners to carry out the demonstration program under this
section by implementing evidence-based or promising
investigative policies and practices to incorporate trauma-
informed, victim-centered techniques designed to--
``(A) prevent re-traumatization of the victim;
``(B) ensure that covered individuals use evidence-
based practices to identify, respond to, and treat
cases of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual
assault, and stalking;
``(C) increase collaboration among stakeholders who
are part of the coordinated community response to
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and
stalking; and
``(D) evaluate the effectiveness of the training
process and content.
``(2) Award basis.--The Attorney General, in consultation
with the Secretary, shall award grants under this section to
multiple eligible entities for use in a variety of settings and
communities, including--
``(A) urban, suburban, Tribal, remote, and rural
areas;
``(B) college campuses; or
``(C) traditionally underserved communities.
``(c) Use of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives a grant under
this section shall use the grant to--
``(1) train covered individuals associated with the
eligible entity to use evidence-based, trauma-informed, and
victim-centered techniques to identify and treat individuals
who have experienced domestic violence, dating violence, sexual
assault, or stalking, including by--
``(A) customizing treatment approaches to ensure a
culturally and linguistically appropriate approach to
the community being served;
``(B) becoming proficient in understanding and
responding to complex cases, including cases of
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or
stalking--
``(i) facilitated by alcohol or drugs;
``(ii) involving strangulation;
``(iii) committed by a non-stranger;
``(iv) committed by an individual of the
same sex as the victim;
``(v) involving a victim with a disability;
``(vi) involving a male victim; or
``(vii) involving a lesbian, gay, bisexual,
or transgender (commonly referred to as `LGBT')
victim;
``(C) developing collaborative relationships
between--
``(i) healthcare providers, law enforcement
officers, and other members of the response
team; and
``(ii) the community being served; and
``(D) developing an understanding of how to define,
identify, and correctly classify a report of domestic
violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking;
and
``(2) promote the efforts of the eligible entity to improve
the response of covered individuals to domestic violence,
dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking through various
communication channels, such as the website of the eligible
entity, social media, print materials, and community meetings,
in order to ensure that all covered individuals associated with
the eligible entity are aware of those efforts and included in
trainings, to the extent practicable.
``(d) Demonstration Program Trainings on Trauma-Informed, Victim-
Centered Approaches.--
``(1) In general.--The Attorney General, in consultation
with the Secretary, shall identify trainings for covered
individuals, in existence as of the date on which the Attorney
General begins to solicit applications for grants under this
section, that--
``(A) employ a trauma-informed, victim-centered
approach to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual
assault, and stalking; and
``(B) focus on the fundamentals of--
``(i) trauma responses;
``(ii) the impact of trauma on victims of
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual
assault, and stalking; and
``(iii) techniques for effectively treating
the medical consequences of domestic violence,
dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
``(2) Selection.--An eligible entity that receives a grant
under this section shall select one or more of the approaches
employed by a training identified under paragraph (1) to test
at the eligible entity.
``(e) Evaluations.--
``(1) In general.--The Attorney General and the Secretary,
in consultation with the Director of the National Institute of
Justice, shall require each eligible entity that receives a
grant under this section to identify a research partner,
preferably a local research partner, to--
``(A) design a system for generating and collecting
the appropriate data to facilitate an independent
process or impact evaluation of the use of the grant
funds;
``(B) periodically conduct an evaluation described
in subparagraph (A); and
``(C) periodically make publicly available, during
the grant period--
``(i) preliminary results of the
evaluations conducted under subparagraph (B);
and
``(ii) recommendations for improving the
use of the grant funds.
``(2) GAO report.--Not later than three years after the
date of the enactment of this section, the Comptroller General
of the United States shall submit to the Committees on Ways and
Means, Energy and Commerce, and Judiciary of the House of
Representatives and the Committees on Judiciary and on Finance
of the Senate a report summarizing the implementation of this
section.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Attorney General $10,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2024 through 2028 to carry out this section.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents for the Violent
Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 10101 note) is
amended by inserting after the item related to section 41701 the
following:
``41702. Demonstration program on trauma-informed, victim-centered
training for healthcare providers.''.
SEC. 5. PROHIBITION ON THE IMPOSITION OF FEES FOR EARLY LEASE
TERMINATION.
Section 41411 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C.
12491) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(h) Prohibition on the Imposition of Fees for Early Lease
Termination.--
``(1) Voluntary exit.--An applicant for or tenant of
housing assisted under a covered housing program may
voluntarily exit a lease for housing earlier than the end date
of such lease on the basis that the applicant or tenant has
been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual
assault, or stalking.
``(2) Fee prohibition.--Notwithstanding any lease
agreement, an applicant or tenant described in paragraph (1)
may not be charged a fee for exiting a lease for housing
earlier than the end date of such lease on the basis described
in paragraph (1).''.
<all>