,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #eech  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,september #ah1 #bjad
 ,ms4 ,jackson ,lee introduced the      
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on the ,judiciary  ,a    
,,bill  ,to establish a grant program to
 empower relatives1 friends1 and        
co-workers of domestic violence victims 
to create safety plans4  #a4 ,short     
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,domestic ,violence ,safety ,plan ,grant
 ,program ,act of #bjad or as the ,my   
,sister's ,keeper ,act of #bjad 4  #b4  
,findings ,the ,congress finds as       
follows3  7#a7 ,approximately #a in #d  
women will experience domestic violence 
during her lifetime and every year1 #a  
in #c women who is a victim of homicide 
is murdered by her current or former    
partner4  7#b7 ,every year1 more than #c
 million children witness domestic      
violence in their homes and children who
 live in homes where there is domestic  
violence also suffer abuse or neglect at

 high rates4  7#c7 ,children are more   
likely to intervene when they witness   
severe violence against a parent1 which 
places them at great risk for injury or 
even death4  7#d7 ,girls who witness    
domestic violence are more vulnerable to
 abuse as teens and adults and boys who 
witness domestic violence are more      
likely to become adult abusers of their 
partners1 their children1 or both1 thus 
continuing the cycle of violence in the 
next generation4  7#e7 ,most domestic   
violence incidents are never reported4  
7#f7 ,family members1 close friends1    
co-workers1 and other persons close to a
 victim of domestic violence frequently 
observe things that lead to them to     
suspect that their loved one or         
colleague is being abused but do not    
feel they possess the knowledge and     
skills needed to provide constructive   
assistance that can make a real         
difference in the life of the victim4   
7#g7 ,domestic violence costs the       
national economy more than #cg billion a

 year in law enforcement involvement1   
legal work1 medical and mental health   
treatment1 and lost productivity4  #c4  
,grant program to discourage domestic   
violence  7a7 ,in general ,the ,attorney
 ,general shall establish a program to  
award grants to eligible ,state and     
local governments1 educational          
institutions1 and non-profit            
organizations to develop1 promote1 and  
teach the importance of the critical    
role that can be played by relatives1   
friends1 and co-workers in combating    
domestic violence4  7b7 ,authorization  
of appropriations ,there are authorized 
to be appropriated for purposes of the  
grant program under this section        
#e1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years     
#bjae1 #bjaf1 #bjag1 #bjah1 and #bjai4  
7c7 ,sunset ,the provisions of this     
section shall cease to have effect      
beginning on the last day of fiscal year
 #bjai4