Today, the House of Representatives approved the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), S. 47, by a vote of 286 to 138. The strong bipartisan vote of 78 to 22 in the Senate earlier this month influenced House Republican leadership to bring the Senate bill to the House floor for a vote. The bill will now go to President Obama for signature.
Congratulations to TFG client, the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, who worked tireless with the National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women to achieve this legislative success! The bill includes critical new measures for communities to fight sexual assault, including:
• Creates tools for states to address the criminal justice response to rape;
• Dedicates set-asides in the STOP and Arrest programs for sexual assault;
• Strengthens state-level VAWA planning processes;
• Renews the Sexual Assault Services and Rape Prevention and Education programs;
• Extends first ever federal public housing protections for victims of sexual assault;
• Increases and improving efforts to address the rape kit backlog;
• Reauthorizes the Trafficking Victims Protection Act;
• Explicitly protects LGBT victims;
• Fortifying tribes' ability to hold offenders accountable; and
• Expands protections for victims on college campuses.
Every community needs to make certain that their rape crisis center and law enforcement have the resources to address the immediate and long-term needs of victims of sexual violence and prevent future incidents of such violence. VAWA will provide the essential tools and support for that work to continue and improve.
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