CRIMINAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE

REAUTHORIZATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN GRANT PROGRAMS

WHEREAS, the United States Congress passed, and President Clinton signed, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 1994, which strengthened criminal laws, established the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and created grant programs to encourage a comprehensive community response to violence against women across America; and

WHEREAS, VAWA and related legislation have created federally funded programs to assist state and local governments and nonprofit agencies in their efforts to address violence against women in our communities by training personnel, enforcing laws, assisting victims of violence, and holding perpetrators accountable; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Departments of Justice and Health and Human Services have awarded more than $1.5 billion through VAWA grant programs since 1994, directing critical resources to our communities’ collaborative efforts to respond to violence against women; and

WHEREAS, VAWA grants have provided needed federal funding to support critical state and local programming and initiatives that benefit cities across our nation, such as hiring and training law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim advocates and court personnel, creating specialized domestic violence police and prosecution units, providing shelter and services for victims of domestic violence, providing civil legal assistance for victims of domestic violence, funding community-based domestic violence and sexual assault programs, and training health care and social services professionals; and

WHEREAS, the partnership between federal, state, and local governments created by VAWA has helped jurisdictions to improve the way they handle domestic violence and sexual assault cases and establish an infrastructure needed to improve our communities’ ability to respond to violence against women; and

WHEREAS, the authorization for most of these VAWA-related grant programs expires at the end of fiscal year 2000; and

WHEREAS, we must maintain and improve upon our achievements in the fight to stop violence against women, assist victims, and hold perpetrators accountable; and

WHEREAS, reauthorization legislation has been introduced in the 106th Congress,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the U.S. Conference of Mayors supports the Violence Against Women Act grant programs and urges Congress to reauthorize these programs through fiscal year 2005 to continue to promote a comprehensive community response to violence against women; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the new VAWA legislation should contain the following elements to help our cities combat violence against women:

• re-authorization through fiscal year 2005 of the VAWA grant programs;
• authorizing legislation for the Domestic Violence Victims’ Civil Legal Assistance Program,
• extension to fiscal year 2005 of the authorization of the Grants to Combat Violent Crimes Against Women on Campuses Grant Program;
• an amended definition of domestic violence under all VAWA grant programs to permit projects to target services to victims of dating violence in all jurisdictions;
• direction of critical resources toward traditionally underserved populations;
• a specific allocation for courts and re-authorization of grants for model judicial training programs; and
• protection for immigrant victims of domestic violence.