House Democrats have met with the Republicans and reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act. Now it’s up to President Obama to sign off on it. According to ABC News, the act will grant more than $650 million over five years to states and local governments to provide services such as transitional housing and legal advice to victims. VAWA will also include protections for immigrants and the LGBT community.
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This has been a long time coming, since the act was introduced in 1994. After a lot of back and forth within the Congress, it seems we are finally making moves in the right direction. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer claims that this is the first positive action this Congress has taken. Check out some of the services and programs VAWA will provide:
- Federal rape shield law
- Community violence prevention programs
- Protections for female victims who are evicted from their homes because of events related to domestic violence or stalking
- Funding for victim assistance services, like rape crisis centers and hotlines
- Programs to meet the needs of immigrant women and women of different races or ethnicities
- Programs and services for female victims with disabilities
- Legal aid for female survivors of violence
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