Senator Baldwin Votes For Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Senate reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) with the passage of the omnibus legislation, which U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin voted for. Since the Violence Against Women Act’s enactment in 1994, Baldwin has voted for every reauthorization as a member of Congress in 2000, 2005, 2013, and now 2022.
“I have always supported the bipartisan reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and it never should have been allowed to expire three years ago. Survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence deserve action from Washington and now they will finally get it. I once again voted for this long-overdue reauthorization because it will continue to provide vital services and support for survivors of sexual assault, domestic abuse, dating violence, and stalking throughout Wisconsin,” said Senator Baldwin.
The reauthorization of VAWA extends services and funding through 2027, preserves advancements made in previous reauthorizations, and includes a number of additional improvements to the current law.
Key provisions of the bipartisan reauthorization:
- Provides services, protection, and justice for young victims of violence, including extending the Rape Prevention and Education grant program and improving grants focused on prevention education for students in institutions of higher education.
- Enhances judicial and law enforcement tools through reauthorization of the Justice Department’s STOP Violence Against Women Formula Program, known as the STOP Program, and expands the STOP Program to better support survivors who are 50 years of age or older and survivors with disabilities.
- Reauthorizes and updates the SMART Prevention Program to reduce dating violence, help children who have been exposed to domestic violence, and engage men in preventing violence.
- Provides economic security assistance for survivors by reauthorizing the National Resource Center on Workplace Response. Expands the program to support sexual harassment victims and ensure that the program’s resources are available to private-sector businesses with fewer than 20 employees in addition to public-sector entities.
- Improves the medical response to instances of domestic violence and sexual assault, including expanding access to medical forensic examinations after a sexual assault for survivors who live in rural communities.
- Protects Indian women by improving tribal access to federal crime information databases and clarifying the existence of tribal criminal jurisdiction over non-Indian perpetrators of domestic violence, sexual violence, sex trafficking, and stalking that takes place on tribal lands.
- Authorizes a grant program to provide community-specific services for LGBT survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Directs the Office on Violence Against Women to provide technical assistance and training to victim service providers and organizations that are seeking to work with survivors.
In addition, the Omnibus legislation also includes federal funding that Senator Baldwin worked to secure for the Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee. Baldwin included $533,000 for the Crisis Outreach and Intervention in Neighborhoods Team, an initiative of Sojourner Family Peace Center, and the Alma Center to offer support, advocacy, and healing to families impacted by domestic violence.
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