HR 789 IHCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To reduce and prevent teen dating violence, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

February 2, 2009CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

Mr. LEWIS of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the JudiciaryCommentsClose CommentsPermalink

To reduce and prevent teen dating violence, and for other purposes.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ‘Teen Dating Violence Prevention Act of 2009’.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

The purposes of this Act are to establish Federal grant programs that prevent and reduce verbal, mental, emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in youth dating relationships and to improve coordination, collaboration, and cross-training among Federal, State, and local agencies and nonprofit entities that serve or interact with offenders and victims of youth dating violence.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) Violence is cyclical; violent juvenile delinquents are four times more likely than other youths to come from homes in which their fathers beat their mothers.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) Technological advancements can enhance stalking, verbal, emotional, and social abuse while avoiding parental and adult intervention in abusive teen dating relationships.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) Girls between the ages of 16 and 24 are most likely to experience domestic and dating violence.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) Teen dating violence is prevalent regardless of race, gender, or socio-economic status.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) More than half of all rape victims are assaulted between the ages of 12 and 24.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) Approximately, 1 in 3 teens reports some kind of abuse in a romantic relationship, including emotional and verbal abuse.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) Nearly 50 percent of all adult sex offenders report committing their first offense prior to age 18.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(8) Abusive dating partners isolate teens from their families and tend to intentionally create family discord.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(9) Teens involved in abusive relationships are also more likely to face legal and drug problems, pregnancy, and other issues.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(10) Most parents are unaware of teen dating violence and have not discussed teen dating violence with their children.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF A TEEN DATING VIOLENCE PROGRAM.

(a) Grants- The Attorney General may award grants to eligible grant entities for the purposes of--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) designing and implementing programs and services targeting runaway and homeless youth, youth in the foster care system, or youth in the juvenile justice system who are victims of domestic or dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) designing and implementing violence prevention programs to provide education, awareness, and counseling to deter abusive behaviors and traits in youth dating relationships;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) assessing and analyzing available services for youth victims of dating violence, determining barriers to such services, and developing community-based, collaborative strategies to address such violence; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) providing preventative, rehabilitative, and other counseling services to youth victims and youth offenders of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(b) Requirements- Each recipient of a grant under this Act--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) shall use funds provided by such grant to ensure that program services developed, modified, and provided to youth victims and youth offenders of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking are developed, modified, and provided with an understanding of and sensitivity to the linguistic, cultural, social, racial, geographic, and economic backgrounds of such youth;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) shall ensure that victim services organizations, schools, and families impacted by youth dating violence are consulted in the development of the program and activities to be carried out with such grant, and that such organizations, schools, and families have a significant role in evaluating the results of the program;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) shall develop programs that exhibit collaborative activities and training models to provide appropriate resources, protection, and support to youth, and to their families, as needed;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) may include mental health services for youth who have experienced domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) may include legal assistance and counseling for youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) shall not use more than 30 percent of the funds provided by such grant to provide childcare, transportation, educational support, respite care, and other indirect support services (excluding the services described in paragraphs (4) and (5)) to youth victims and youth offenders of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(c) Priority- In awarding grants under this Act, the Attorney General shall give priority to eligible grant entities that have submitted applications in partnership with other community organizations and service providers that work primarily with youth, especially teens, and eligible grant entities that have demonstrated a commitment to coalition building and cooperative problem solving in dealing with problems of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking in youth populations.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(d) Grantee Requirements- For the purpose of this Act, an eligible grant entity includes--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) State, local, or tribal governments or agencies focusing on at-risk youth;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) nonprofit organizations providing services for runaway, homeless, or foster care youth, or youth in the juvenile justice system who have been victims of dating violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) nonprofit, community-based victim services organizations specializing in intervention or violence prevention services, youth batterer and offender treatment programs, teen parenting, or health and sex education services targeting youth;CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) faith-based organizations that focus on youth counseling and crime prevention; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) community-based, nonprofit organizations serving marginalized and at-risk youth.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(e) Evaluation and Reporting- Each year for which an entity receives a grant under this Act, the entity shall submit to the Attorney General an annual report detailing the activities carried out with such grant, including any additional information the Attorney General may require.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 5. REPORTING.

For each fiscal year for which amounts are appropriated to carry out this Act, the Attorney General shall submit to the appropriate Congressional committees and make widely available, including through electronic means, summaries of the activities carried out by the entities receiving grants under this Act.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(1) DATING VIOLENCE- The term ‘dating violence’ has the meaning given the term in section 40002 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13925).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(2) DOMESTIC VIOLENCE- The term ‘domestic violence’ has the meaning given the term in section 40002 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13925).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(3) STALKING- The term ‘stalking’ has the meaning given the term in section 40002 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (42 U.S.C. 13925).CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(4) VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR STALKING- The term ‘victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking’ includes--CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(A) a person who has been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking; andCommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(B) a person whose family member or household member has been a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(5) VICTIM SERVICES ORGANIZATION- The term ‘victim services organization’ means a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that provides assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, or to advocates for such victims, including a rape crisis center, an organization carrying out a domestic violence program, an organization operating a shelter or providing counseling services, or an organization providing assistance through the legal process.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(6) YOUTH- The term ‘youth’ means any individual age 11 to 25.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink





(7) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES- The term ‘appropriate Congressional committees’ means the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink

SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act, $3,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2010 through 2015. Not more than 10 percent of funds appropriated to carry out this Act may be used for administration, monitoring and evaluation, or technical assistance.CommentsClose CommentsPermalink