,,ii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #aga ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,january #af1 #bjai,ms4 ,klobuchar 7for herself and ,mr4 ,cornyn7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on the ,judiciary ,a ,,bill ,to authorize the ,office on ,violence ,against ,women to improve the handling of crimes of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking by incorporating a trauma-informed approach into the initial response to and investigation of such crimes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,abby ,honold ,act4 #b4 ,demonstration program on trauma-informed training for law enforcement 7a7 ,definitions ,in this section-- 7#a7 the term ,attorney ,general means the ,attorney ,general1 acting through the ,director of the ,office on ,violence ,against ,women2 7#b7 the term covered individual means an individual who interfaces with victims of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking1 including-- 7,a7 an individual working for or on behalf of an eligible entity2 7,b7 a school or university administrator2 and 7,c7 an emergency services or medical employee2 7#c7 the term demonstration site1 with respect to an eligible entity that receives a grant under this section1 means-- 7,a7 if the eligible entity is a law enforcement agency described in paragraph 7#d77;,a71 the area over which the eligible entity has jurisdiction2 and 7,b7 if the eligible entity is an organization or agency described in paragraph 7#d77;,b71 the area over which a law enforcement agency described in paragraph 7#d77;,a7 that is working in collaboration with the eligible entity has jurisdiction2 and 7#d7 the term eligible entity means-- 7,a7 a ,state1 local1 territorial1 or ,tribal law enforcement agency2 or 7,b7 a national1 regional1 or local victim services organization or agency working in collaboration with a law enforcement agency described in subparagraph 7,a74 7b7 ,grants authorized 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,attorney ,general shall award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities to carry out the demonstration program under this section by implementing evidence-based or promising policies and practices to incorporate trauma-informed techniques designed to-- 7,a7 prevent re-traumatization of the victim2 7,b7 ensure that covered individuals use evidence-based practices to respond to and investigate cases of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking2 7,c7 improve communication between victims and law enforcement officers in an effort to increase the likelihood of the successful investigation and prosecution of the reported crime in a manner that protects the victim to the greatest extent possible2 7,d7 increase collaboration among stakeholders who are part of the coordinated community response to domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking2 and 7,e7 evaluate the effectiveness of the training process and content by measuring-- 7i7 investigative and prosecutorial practices and outcomes2 and 7ii7 the well-being of victims and their satisfaction with the criminal justice process4 7#b7 ,term ,the ,attorney ,general shall make grants under this section for each of the first #b fiscal years beginning after the date of enactment of this ,act4 7#c7 ,award basis ,the ,attorney ,general shall award grants under this section to multiple eligible entities for use in a variety of settings and communities1 including-- 7,a7 urban1 suburban1 ,tribal1 remote1 and rural areas2 7,b7 college campuses2 or 7,c7 traditionally underserved communities4 7c7 ,use of funds ,an eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant to-- 7#a7 train covered individuals within the demonstration site of the eligible entity to use evidence-based1 trauma-informed techniques and knowledge of crime victims' rights throughout an investigation into domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking1 including by-- 7,a7 conducting victim interviews in a manner that-- 7i7 elicits valuable information about the domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking2 and 7ii7 avoids re-traumatization of the victim2 7,b7 conducting field investigations that mirror best and promising practices available at the time of the investigation2 7,c7 customizing investigative approaches to ensure a culturally and linguistically appropriate approach to the community being served2 7,d7 becoming proficient in understanding and responding to complex cases1 including cases of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking-- 7i7 facilitated by alcohol or drugs2 7ii7 involving strangulation2 7iii7 committed by a non-stranger2 7iv7 committed by an individual of the same sex as the victim2 7v7 involving a victim with a disability2 7vi7 involving a male victim2 or 7vii7 involving a lesbian1 gay1 bisexual1 or transgender 7commonly referred to as ,,lgbt7 victim2 7,e7 developing collaborative relationships between-- 7i7 law enforcement officers and other members of the response team2 and 7ii7 the community being served2 and 7,f7 developing an understanding of how to define1 identify1 and correctly classify a report of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 or stalking2 and 7#b7 promote the efforts of the eligible entity to improve the response of covered individuals to domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking through various communication channels1 such as the website of the eligible entity1 social media1 print materials1 and community meetings1 in order to ensure that all covered individuals within the demonstration site of the eligible entity are aware of those efforts and included in trainings1 to the extent practicable4 7d7 ,demonstration program trainings on trauma-,informed approaches 7#a7 ,identification of existing trainings 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,attorney ,general shall identify trainings for law enforcement officers1 in existence as of the date on which the ,attorney ,general begins to solicit applications for grants under this section1 that-- 7i7 employ a trauma-informed approach to domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking2 and 7ii7 focus on the fundamentals of-- 7,i7 trauma responses2 and 7,,ii7 the impact of trauma on victims of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking4 7,b7 ,selection ,an eligible entity that receives a grant under this section shall select one or more of the approaches employed by a training identified under subparagraph 7,a7 to test within the demonstration site of the eligible entity4 7#b7 ,consultation ,in carrying out paragraph 7#a71 the ,attorney ,general shall consult with the ,director of the ,office for ,victims of ,crime in order to seek input from and cultivate consensus among outside practitioners and other stakeholders through facilitated discussions and focus groups on best practices in the field of trauma-informed care for victims of domestic violence1 dating violence1 sexual assault1 and stalking4 7e7 ,evaluation ,the ,attorney ,general1 in consultation with the ,director of the ,national ,institute of ,justice1 shall require each eligible entity that receives a grant under this section to identify a research partner1 preferably a local research partner1 to-- 7#a7 design a system for generating and collecting the appropriate data to facilitate an independent process or impact evaluation of the use of the grant funds2 7#b7 periodically conduct an evaluation described in paragraph 7#a72 and 7#c7 periodically make publicly available1 during the grant period-- 7,a7 preliminary results of the evaluations conducted under paragraph 7#b72 and 7,b7 recommendations for improving the use of the grant funds4 7f7 ,authorization of appropriations ,the ,attorney ,general shall carry out this section using amounts otherwise available to the ,attorney ,general4 7g7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in this ,act shall be construed to interfere with the due process rights of any individual4