,i #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #cic ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,january #bc1 #bjac ,mr4 ,honda introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,a ,,bill ,to consolidate1 improve1 and reauthorize programs that support families and victims in the justice system affected by domestic violence4 #a4 ,short title2 ,findings 7a7 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,domestic ,violence ,judicial ,support ,act of #bjac4 7b7 ,findings ,the ,congress finds as follows3 7#a7 ,the #bjaj ,national ,survey by the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention found that #a in #d women have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner1 while #a in #g men experienced severe physical violence by an intimate partner4 ,female victims of intimate partner violence experienced different patterns of violence than male victims4 ,female victims experienced multiple forms of these types of violence2 male victims most often experienced physical violence4 7#b7 ,a critical issue in domestic violence cases is the risk of continued victimization during the pretrial period4 ,offenders may violate no-contact orders1 further injure victims1 or intimidate them4 ,such occurrences highlight a critical need for efficiency in court proceedings4 7#c7 ,of #c1gej intimate partner violence cases filed in ,state courts in #af large urban counties in #bjjb1 children were present during the violent incident in #cf percent of the cases4 ,of those children who were present1 #fj percent directly witnessed the violence4 ,court collection of information and statistics related to children who witnessed a violent incident between intimate partners assists courts in identifying children in need of services as a result of such an incident4 7#d7 ,domestic violence cases involving spouses and other intimate partners often entail complex processes that require careful consideration by the criminal justice system4 ,in the #aiijs1 many jurisdictions began to create specialized domestic violence courts for judges to ensure follow-through on cases1 aid domestic violence victims1 and hold offenders accountable1 with the assistance of justice and social service agencies4 ,by specializing in domestic violence offenses1 these courts aim to process cases more efficiently and deliver more consistent rulings about domestic violence statutes4 ,some domestic violence courts also incorporate a stronger focus on rehabilitation of offenders and deterrence of repeat offenses4 ,these courts can also be more sensitive to the needs of victims and be able to direct victims to additional community resources4 7#e7 ,one-third of violent felony defendants in ,state criminal courts have been charged with domestic violence4 7#f7 ,teen dating violence cases are best handled by courts who have had the training to make informed decisions and have the resources to make services available1 on-site and in the community1 including-- 7,a7 counseling2 7,b7 victim witness services2 7,c7 assistance with civil restraining orders1 paternity determinations1 custody and access orders1 and child support orders2 and 7,d7 locating other assistance needed by teen victims4 7#g7 ,there are more than #djj1jjj children in foster care in the ,united ,states4 ,congress has charged juvenile courts with oversight of child welfare cases4 ,highly trained and engaged judges focused on effective case oversight and system reform have been shown to save significant foster care costs for the ,states4 7#h7 ,a #bjji study by the ,department of ,justice found that ,kentucky saved #he1jjj1jjj in one year through the issuance of protection orders and the reduction in violence resulting from the issuance of such orders4 ,examples such as this are prevalent across the ,nation4 7#i7 ,children with a ,court ,appointed ,special ,advocate volunteer experience fewer out of home placements1 are less likely to age out of foster care without a permanent home1 and have significantly improved education performance1 compared to their peers without a volunteer advocate4 7#aj7 ,by reducing long-term foster care placements1 subsequent victimization1 and reentry into the foster care system1 the ,court ,appointed ,special ,advocate program substantially reduces child welfare costs4 #b4 ,consolidation of grants to support families and victims in the justice system 7a7 ,in general ,title ,,iii of division ,b of the ,victims of ,trafficking and ,violence ,protection ,act of #bjjj 7,public ,law #ajf-chf2 #aad ,stat4 #aeji7 is amended by striking the section preceding section #acjb 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ajdbj71 as amended by section #cjf of the ,violence ,against ,women and ,department of ,justice ,reauthorization ,act of #bjje 7,public ,law #aji-afb2 #aai ,stat4 #caf71 and inserting the following3 #acja4 ,court training and supervised visitation improvements 7a7 ,in general ,the ,attorney ,general may make grants to ,states1 units of local government1 courts 7including juvenile courts71 ,indian tribal governments1 nonprofit organizations1 legal services providers1 and victim services providers to improve the response of all aspects of the civil and criminal justice system to families and victims with a history of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking1 or in cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse4 7b7 ,use of funds ,a grant under this section may be used to-- 7#a7 provide supervised visitation and safe visitation exchange of children and youth by and between parents in situations involving domestic violence1 dating violence1 child sexual abuse1 sexual assault1 or stalking2 7#b7 develop and promote ,state1 local1 and tribal legislation1 policies1 and best practices for improving civil and criminal court functions1 responses1 practices1 and procedures in cases involving a history of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking1 or in cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse1 including cases in which the victim proceeds pro se2 7#c7 educate court-based and court-related personnel 7including custody evaluators and guardians ad litem7 and child protective services workers on the dynamics of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault 7including child sexual abuse71 and stalking1 including information on perpetrator behavior1 evidence-based risk factors for domestic and dating violence homicide1 and on issues relating to the needs of victims1 including safety1 security1 privacy1 and confidentiality1 including cases in which the victim proceeds pro se2 7#d7 provide appropriate resources in juvenile court matters to respond to dating violence1 domestic violence1 sexual assault 7including child sexual abuse71 and stalking and ensure necessary services dealing with the health and mental health of victims are available2 7#e7 enable courts or court-based or court-related programs to develop or enhance-- 7,a7 court infrastructure 7such as specialized courts1 consolidated courts1 dockets1 intake centers1 or interpreter services72 7,b7 community-based initiatives within the court system 7such as court watch programs1 victim assistants1 pro se victim assistance programs1 or community-based supplementary services72 7,c7 offender management1 monitoring1 and accountability programs2 7,d7 safe and confidential information-storage and information-sharing databases within and between court systems2 7,e7 education and outreach programs to improve community access1 including enhanced access for underserved populations2 and 7,f7 other projects likely to improve court responses to domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking2 7#f7 provide civil legal assistance and advocacy services1 including legal information and resources in cases in which the victim proceeds pro se1 to-- 7,a7 victims of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking2 and 7,b7 nonoffending parents in matters-- 7i7 that involve allegations of child sexual abuse2 7ii7 that relate to family matters1 including civil protection orders1 custody1 and divorce2 and 7iii7 in which the other parent is represented by counsel2 7#g7 collect data and provide training and technical assistance1 including developing ,state1 local1 and tribal model codes and policies1 to improve the capacity of grantees and communities to address the civil and criminal justice needs of victims of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking who have legal representation1 who are proceeding pro se1 or are proceeding with the assistance of a legal advocate2 and 7#h7 improve training and education to assist judges1 judicial personnel1 attorneys1 child welfare personnel1 and legal advocates in the civil1 criminal1 and juvenile justice systems4 7c7 ,considerations 7#a7 ,in general ,in making grants for purposes described in paragraphs 7#a7 through 7#g7 of subsection 7b71 the ,attorney ,general shall consider-- 7,a7 the number of families and victims to be served by the proposed programs and services2 7,b7 the extent to which the proposed programs and services serve underserved populations2 7,c7 the extent to which the applicant demonstrates cooperation and collaboration with nonprofit1 nongovernmental entities in the local community with demonstrated histories of effective work on domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking1 including ,state or tribal domestic violence coalitions1 ,state or tribal sexual assault coalitions1 local shelters1 and programs for domestic violence and sexual assault victims2 and 7,d7 the extent to which the applicant demonstrates coordination and collaboration with ,state1 tribal1 and local court systems1 including mechanisms for communication and referral4 7#b7 ,other grants ,in making grants under paragraph 7#h7 of subsection 7b71 the ,attorney ,general shall consider the extent to which the applicant has experience providing training1 education1 or other assistance to the judicial system related to family violence1 child custody1 child abuse and neglect1 adoption1 foster care1 supervised visitation1 divorce1 and parentage4 7d7 ,applicant requirements ,the ,attorney ,general may make a grant under this section to an applicant that-- 7#a7 demonstrates expertise in the areas of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 stalking1 or child sexual abuse1 as appropriate2 7#b7 ensures that any fees charged to individuals for use of supervised visitation programs and services are based on the income of those individuals1 unless otherwise provided by court order2 7#c7 for a court-based program1 certifies that victims of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking are not charged fees or any other costs related to the filing1 petitioning1 modifying1 issuance1 registration1 enforcement1 withdrawal1 or dismissal of matters relating to the domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking2 7#d7 demonstrates that adequate security measures1 including adequate facilities1 procedures1 and personnel capable of preventing violence1 and adequate standards are1 or will be1 in place 7including the development of protocols or policies to ensure that confidential information is not shared with courts1 law enforcement agencies1 or child welfare agencies unless necessary to ensure the safety of any child or adult using the services of a program funded under this section71 if the applicant proposes to operate supervised visitation programs and services or safe visitation exchange2 7#e7 certifies that the organizational policies of the applicant do not require mediation or counseling involving offenders and victims being physically present in the same place1 in cases where domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking is alleged2 7#f7 certifies that any person providing legal assistance through a program funded under this section has completed or will complete training on domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking1 including child sexual abuse1 and related legal issues2 and 7#g7 certifies that any person providing custody evaluation or guardian ad litem services through a program funded under this section has completed or will complete training developed with input from and in collaboration with a tribal1 ,state1 territorial1 or local domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking organization or coalition on the dynamics of domestic violence and sexual assault1 including child sexual abuse1 that includes training on how to review evidence of past abuse and the use of evidenced-based theories to make recommendations on custody and visitation4 7e7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section1 #bb1jjj1jjj for each of the fiscal years #bjad through #bjah4 ,amounts appropriated pursuant to this subsection shall remain available until expended4 4 #c4 ,court-appointed special advocate program ,subtitle ,b of the ,victims of ,child ,abuse ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acjaa et seq47 is amended-- 7#a7 in section #baf 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acjab71 by striking ,january #a1 #bjaj and inserting ,january #a1 #bjaf2 7#b7 in section #bag 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acjac7-- 7,a7 in subparagraph 7,a7 of subsection 7c77#b71 by striking ,code of ,ethics and inserting ,standards for ,programs2 and 7,b7 by adding at the end the following3 7e7 ,reporting by grantees ,an organization that receives a grant under this section for a fiscal year shall submit to the ,administrator a report regarding the use of the grant for the fiscal year1 including a discussion of outcome performance measures 7which shall be established by the ,administrator7 to determine the effectiveness of the programs of the organization in meeting the needs of children in the child welfare system4 2 and 7#c7 in subsection 7a7 of section #bai 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acjad71 by striking fiscal years #bjjg through #bjaa and inserting the fiscal years #bjad through #bjah4 #d4 ,reauthorization of the child abuse training programs for judicial personnel and practitioners ,subsection 7a7 of section #bbd of the ,victims of ,child ,abuse ,act of #aiij 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acjbd7 is amended to read as follows3 7a7 ,authorization ,there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this subtitle #b1cjj1jjj for each of the fiscal years #bjad through #bjah4 4