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Smith Hails Signing of Violence Against |
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“The Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization signed by President Bush today will empower us to continue making progress in the fight against domestic violence,” said Smith. "Since becoming law in 1994, VAWA has been effective tool that has protected women from an assortment of crimes including domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking.” One of the key provisions of HR 3402 reauthorizes and enhances the Services and Training for Officers and Prosecutors (STOP) grants. Referred to as the cornerstone of VAWA, the STOP program provides state formula grants that bring police and prosecutors together in close collaboration with victim services providers. Today’s action authorizes over $1 billion over the next five years for STOP grants. In addition, the bill mandates a coordinated campaign to increase public awareness of domestic violence; provides transitional housing for victims; reauthorizes the Attorney General to develop criteria and training programs for probation officers, parole officers and others who work with released sex offenders; and requires studies and reports on the effectiveness of certain grants in combating domestic and sexual violence.
The Violence Against Women Act reauthorization extends core programs to aid and protect victims of domestic violence and contains new provisions to enhance our ability to combat violence against women and children. Specifically, the act will:
· Increase funding for rape crisis centers; · Increase funding to combat violent crimes on campuses; · Place special victim assistants in local law enforcement agencies to serve as liaisons between law enforcement and victims; · Create a separate stream of funding dedicated to sexual assault services; · Create a new program to improve teenagers’ access to the courts; · Create a national education curriculum for state and national judicial educators to ensure that all courts have access to information about relevant laws and best practices.
For additional information about Representative Christopher Smith, please visit www.house.gov/chrissmith | ||
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For Immediate Release: January 5, 2006 Contact: Brad Dayspring (202) 225-3765 |
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