To amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to provide for transitional housing assistance grants for child victims of domestic violence.

        [Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1704 Introduced in House (IH)]

108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1704

To amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to provide for
transitional housing assistance grants for child victims of domestic
violence.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

April 9, 2003

Ms. Schakowsky (for herself, Mr. Houghton, Mr. George Miller of
California, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Ms. Slaughter, Ms. Lee, Ms. Jackson-Lee
of Texas, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Mr. Sandlin, Mr. Cummings, Mrs.
Maloney, Mrs. Capps, Mr. Wexler, Mr. Israel, Mr. Rush, Mr. Hinchey, Mr.
Hoeffel, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Gonzalez, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Ms. Norton,
Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Payne, Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Mr. Costello, and Mr.
Olver) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on
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 amend the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 to provide for
transitional housing assistance grants for child victims of domestic
violence.

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

SECTION 1. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR CHILD VICTIMS OF
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, STALKING, OR SEXUAL ASSAULT.

Subtitle B of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C.
13701 note; 108 Stat. 1925) is amended by adding at the end the
following:

``CHAPTER 11--TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR CHILD VICTIMS
OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, STALKING, OR SEXUAL ASSAULT

``SEC. 40299. TRANSITIONAL HOUSING ASSISTANCE GRANTS FOR CHILD VICTIMS
OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, STALKING, OR SEXUAL ASSAULT.

``(a) In General.--The Attorney General, acting in consultation
with the Director of the Violence Against Women Office of the
Department of Justice, shall award grants under this section to States,
units of local government, Indian tribes, and other organizations
(referred to in this section as the `recipient') to carry out programs
to provide assistance to minors, adults, and their dependents--
``(1) who are homeless, or in need of transitional housing
or other housing assistance, as a result of fleeing a situation
of domestic violence; and
``(2) for whom emergency shelter services or other crisis
intervention services are unavailable or insufficient.
``(b) Grants.--Grants awarded under this section may be used for
programs that provide--
``(1) short-term housing assistance, including rental or
utilities payments assistance and assistance with related
expenses such as payment of security deposits and other costs
incidental to relocation to transitional housing for persons
described in subsection (a); and
``(2) support services designed to enable a minor, an
adult, or a dependent of such minor or adult, who is fleeing a
situation of domestic violence to--
``(A) locate and secure permanent housing; and
``(B) integrate into a community by providing that
minor, adult, or dependent with services, such as
transportation, counseling, child care services, case
management, employment counseling, and other
assistance.
``(c) Duration.--
``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), a
minor, an adult, or a dependent, who receives assistance under
this section shall receive that assistance for not more than 18
months.
``(2) Waiver.--The recipient of a grant under this section
may waive the restriction under paragraph (1) for not more than
an additional 6 month period with respect to any minor, adult,
or dependent, who--
``(A) has made a good-faith effort to acquire
permanent housing; and
``(B) has been unable to acquire permanent housing.
``(d) Application.--
``(1) In general.--Each eligible entity desiring a grant
under this section shall submit an application to the Attorney
General at such time, in such manner, and accompanied by such
information as the Attorney General may reasonably require.
``(2) Contents.--Each application submitted pursuant to
paragraph (1) shall--
``(A) describe the activities for which assistance
under this section is sought; and
``(B) provide such additional assurances as the
Attorney General determines to be essential to ensure
compliance with the requirements of this section.
``(3) Application.--Nothing in this subsection shall be
construed to require--
``(A) victims to participate in the criminal
justice system in order to receive services; or
``(B) domestic violence advocates to breach client
confidentiality.
``(e) Report to the Attorney General.--
``(1) In general.--A recipient of a grant under this
section shall annually prepare and submit to the Attorney
General a report describing--
``(A) the number of minors, adults, and dependents
assisted under this section; and
``(B) the types of housing assistance and support
services provided under this section.
``(2) Contents.--Each report prepared and submitted
pursuant to paragraph (1) shall include information regarding--
``(A) the amount of housing assistance provided to
each minor, adult, or dependent, assisted under this
section and the reason for that assistance;
``(B) the number of months each minor, adult, or
dependent, received assistance under this section;
``(C) the number of minors, adults, and dependents
who--
``(i) were eligible to receive assistance
under this section; and
``(ii) were not provided with assistance
under this section solely due to a lack of
available housing; and
``(D) the type of support services provided to each
minor, adult, or dependent, assisted under this
section.
``(f) Report to Congress.--
``(1) Reporting requirement.--The Attorney General, with
the Director of the Violence Against Women Office, 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 the report submitted under
subsection (e).
``(2) Availability of report.--In order to coordinate
efforts to assist the victims of domestic violence, the
Attorney General, in coordination with the Director of the
Violence Against Women Office, shall transmit a copy of the
report submitted under paragraph (1) to--
``(A) the Office of Community Planning and
Development at the United States Department of Housing
and Urban Development; and
``(B) the Office of Women's Health at the United
States Department of Health and Human Services.
``(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--
``(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated
to carry out this section $30,000,000 for each of the fiscal
years 2004 through 2008.
``(2) Limitations.--Of the amount made available to carry
out this section in any fiscal year, not more than 3 percent
may be used by the Attorney General for salaries and
administrative expenses.
``(3) Minimum amount.--
``(A) In general.--Except as provided in
subparagraph (B), unless all eligible applications
submitted by any States, units of local government,
Indian tribes, or organizations within a State for a
grant under this section have been funded, that State,
together with the grantees within the State (other than
Indian tribes), shall be allocated in each fiscal year,
not less than 0.75 percent of the total amount
appropriated in the fiscal year for grants pursuant to
this section.
``(B) Exception.--The United States Virgin Islands,
American Samoa, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands
shall each be allocated not less than 0.25 percent of
the total amount appropriated in the fiscal year for
grants pursuant to this section.''.
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