,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ebfg  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #cj1 #bjad ,ms4
 ,clark of ,massachusetts 7for herself  
and ,ms4 ,ros-,lehtinen7 introduced the 
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary1 and in
 addition to the ,committee on          
,agriculture1 for a period to be        
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to protect the pets of      
victims of domestic violence1 sexual    
assault1 stalking1 and dating violence4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,pet and ,women ,safety ,act of 
#bjad4  #b4 ,pet involvement in crimes  
related to domestic violence and        
stalking  7a7 ,interstate stalking      
,section #bbfa;,a of title #ah1 ,united 
,states ,code1 is amended--  7#a7 in    
paragraph 7#a77;,a7--  7,a7 in clause   
7ii71 by striking or at the end2 and    

7,b7 by inserting after clause 7iii7 the
 following3  7iv7 the pet of that       
person2 or  2 and  7#b7 in paragraph    
7#b77;,a71 by striking or 7iii7 and     
inserting 7iii71 or 7iv74  7b7          
,interstate violation of protection     
order ,section #bbfb of title #ah1      
,united ,states ,code1 is amended--     
7#a7 in subsection 7a7--  7,a7 in       
paragraph 7#a71 by inserting after      
another person the following3 or the pet
 of that person2 and  7,b7 in paragraph 
7#b71 by inserting after proximity to1  
another person the following or the pet 
of that person2 and  7#b7 in subsection 
7b77#e71 by inserting after in any other
 case1 the following3 including any case
 where the offense is committed against 
a pet14  7c7 ,restitution ,to include   
veterinary services ,section #bbfd of   
title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is    
amended in subsection 7b77#c7--  7#a7 by
 redesignating subparagraph 7,f7 as     
subparagraph 7,g72  7#b7 in subparagraph
 7,e71 by striking and at the end2 and  

7#c7 by inserting after subparagraph    
7,e7 the following3  7,f7 veterinary    
services relating to physical care for  
the victim's pet2 and  4  7d7 ,pet      
defined ,section #bbff of title #ah1    
,united ,states ,code1 is amended by    
inserting after paragraph 7#aj7 the     
following3  7#aa7 ,pet ,the term pet    
means a domesticated animal1 such as a  
dog1 cat1 bird1 rodent1 fish1 turtle1   
horse1 or other animal that is kept for 
pleasure rather than for commercial     
purposes4  4  #c4 ,emergency and        
transitional pet shelter and housing    
assistance grant program  7a7 ,in       
general ,the ,secretary of ,agriculture1
 acting in consultation with the        
,director of the ,violence ,against     
,women ,office of the ,department of    
,justice1 the ,secretary of ,housing and
 ,urban ,development1 and the ,secretary
 of ,health and ,human ,services1 shall 
award grants under this section to      
eligible entities to carry out programs 
to provide the assistance described in  

subsection 7c7 with respect to victims  
of domestic violence1 dating violence1  
sexual assault1 or stalking and the pets
 of such victims4  7b7 ,application     
7#a7 ,in general ,an eligible entity    
seeking a grant under this section shall
 submit an application to the ,secretary
 at such time1 in such manner1 and      
containing such information as the      
,secretary may reasonably require1      
including--  7,a7 a description of the  
activities for which a grant under this 
section is sought2  7,b7 such assurances
 as the ,secretary determines to be     
necessary to ensure compliance by the   
entity with the requirements of this    
section2 and  7,c7 a certification that 
the entity1 before engaging with any    
individual domestic violence victim1    
will disclose to such victim any        
mandatory duty of the entity to report  
instances of abuse and neglect          
7including instances of abuse and       
neglect of pets74  7#b7 ,additional     
requirements ,in addition to the        

requirements of paragraph 7#a71 each    
application submitted by an eligible    
entity under such paragraph shall--     
7,a7 not include proposals for any      
activities that may compromise the      
safety of a domestic violence victim1   
including--  7i7 background checks of   
domestic violence victims2 or  7ii7     
clinical evaluations to determine the   
eligibility of such a victim for support
 services2  7,b7 not include proposals  
that would require mandatory services   
for victims or that a victim obtain a   
protective order in order to receive    
proposed services2 and  7,c7 reflect the
 eligible entity's understanding of the 
dynamics of domestic violence1 dating   
violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking4  
7#c7 ,rules of construction ,nothing in 
this subsection shall be construed to   
require--  7,a7 domestic violence       
victims to participate in the criminal  
justice system in order to receive      
services2 or  7,b7 eligible entities    
receiving a grant under this section to 

breach client confidentiality4  7c7 ,use
 of funds ,grants awarded under this    
section may only be used for programs   
that provide--  7#a7 emergency and      
transitional pet shelter and housing    
assistance1 including assistance with   
respect to any construction or operating
 expenses of newly developed or existing
 emergency and transitional pet shelter 
and housing 7regardless of whether such 
shelter and housing is co-located at a  
victim service provider or within the   
community72  7#b7 short-term pet shelter
 and housing assistance1 including      
assistance with respect to expenses     
incurred for the temporary shelter1     
housing1 boarding1 or fostering of the  
pets of domestic violence victims and   
other expenses that are incidental to   
securing the safety of such a pet during
 the sheltering1 housing1 or relocation 
of such victims2  7#c7 support services 
designed to enable a domestic violence  
victim who is fleeing a situation of    
domestic violence1 dating violence1     

sexual assault1 or stalking to--  7,a7  
locate and secure safe housing with     
their pet or safe accommodation for     
their pet2 or  7,b7 provide the victim  
with pet-related services1 such as pet  
transportation1 pet care services1 and  
other assistance2 or  7#d7 for the      
training of relevant stakeholders on--  
7,a7 the link between domestic violence1
 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or    
stalking and the abuse and neglect of   
pets2  7,b7 the needs of domestic       
violence victims2  7,c7 best practices  
for providing support services to such  
victims2  7,d7 best practices for       
providing such victims with referrals to
 victims' services2 and  7,e7 the       
importance of confidentiality4  7d7     
,grant conditions ,an eligible entity   
that receives a grant under this section
 shall1 as a condition on such receipt1 
agree--  7#a7 to be bound by the        
nondisclosure of confidential           
information requirements of section     
#djjjb7;b77#b7 of the ,violence ,against

 ,women ,act of #aiid 7#db ,u4,s4,c4    
#acibe7;b77#b772 and  7#b7 that the     
entity shall not condition the receipt  
of support1 housing1 or other benefits  
provided pursuant to this section on the
 participation of domestic violence     
victims in any or all of the support    
services offered to such victims through
 a program carried out by the entity    
using grant funds4  7e7 ,duration of    
assistance provided to victims  7#a7 ,in
 general ,subject to paragraph 7#b71    
assistance provided with respect to a   
pet of a domestic violence victim using 
grant funds awarded under this section  
shall be provided for a period of not   
more than #bd months4  7#b7 ,extension  
,an eligible entity that receives a     
grant under this section may extend the 
#bd-month period referred to in         
paragraph 7#a7 for a period of not more 
than #f months in the case of a domestic
 violence victim who--  7,a7 has made a 
good faith effort to acquire permanent  
housing for their pet during such       

#bd-month period2 and  7,b7 has been    
unable to acquire such permanent housing
 within such period4  7f7 ,report to the
 ,secretary ,not later than one year    
after the date on which an eligible     
entity receives a grant under this      
section and each year thereafter1 such  
entity shall submit to the ,secretary of
 ,agriculture a report4 ,such report    
shall contain1 with respect to          
assistance provided by such entity with 
respect to pets of domestic violence    
victims using grant funds received under
 this section1 information on--  7#a7   
the number of pets provided such        
assistance2 and  7#b7 the purpose1      
amount1 type of1 and duration of such   
assistance4  7g7 ,report to ,congress   
7#a7 ,reporting requirement ,not later  
than ,november #a of each even-numbered 
fiscal year1 the ,secretary of          
,agriculture shall submit to the        
,committee on ,agriculture of the ,house
 of ,representatives and the ,committee 
on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and        

,forestry of the ,senate a report that  
contains a compilation of the           
information contained in the report     
submitted under subsection 7f74  7#b7   
,availability of report ,the ,secretary 
of ,agriculture shall transmit a copy of
 the report submitted under paragraph   
7#a7 to--  7,a7 the ,office on ,violence
 ,against ,women of the ,department of  
,justice2  7,b7 the ,office of          
,community ,planning and ,development at
 the ,united ,states ,department of     
,housing and ,urban ,development2 and   
7,c7 the ,administration for ,children  
and ,families at the ,united ,states    
,department of ,health and ,human       
,services4  7h7 ,authorization of       
appropriations  7#a7 ,in general ,there 
are authorized to be appropriated to    
carry out this section #c1jjj1jjj for   
each of fiscal years #bjae through      
#bjai4  7#b7 ,limitation ,of the amount 
made available under paragraph 7#a7 in  
any fiscal year1 not more than #e       
percent may be used for evaluation1     

monitoring1 technical assistance1       
salaries1 and administrative expenses4  
7i7 ,definitions ,in this section3  7#a7
 ,domestic violence victim defined ,the 
term domestic violence victim means a   
victim of domestic violence1 dating     
violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking4  
7#b7 ,eligible entity ,the term eligible
 entity means--  7,a7 a ,state2  7,b7 a 
general unit of local government2  7,c7 
an ,indian tribe2 or  7,d7 any other    
organization that has a documented      
history of effective work concerning    
domestic violence1 dating violence1     
sexual assault1 or stalking 7as         
determined by the ,secretary71          
including--  7i7 a domestic violence and
 sexual assault victim service provider2
  7ii7 a domestic violence and sexual   
assault coalition2  7iii7 a             
community-based and culturally specific 
organization2  7iv7 any other nonprofit1
 nongovernmental organization2 or  7v7  
any organization that works directly    
with pets and collaborates with any     

organization referred to in clauses 7i7 
through 7iv71 including--  7,i7 an      
animal shelter2 or  7,,ii7 an animal    
welfare organization4  #d4 ,sense of    
,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress 
that ,states should encourage the       
inclusion of protections against violent
 or threatening acts against the pet of 
the person in domestic violence         
protection orders4