Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization

The Senate recently passed S. 1925, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization bill. Senator Murkowski is a proud co-sponsor of this legislation.

Senator Murkowski supports VAWA programs because they help ensure safe environments for women across the state – and serve as a crucial policy complement to the “Choose Respect” movement in Alaska.

The rate of violence against women in Alaska is among the highest in the nation. For instance, Alaska’s rape statistics are 2.5 times higher than the national average. Since 1976, Alaska has ranked in the top five states for the number of rapes per 100,000 total inhabitants every year, and ranked first in the nation for nine out of ten years between 1991 and 2000.

Over the years, VAWA has provided important resources to many Alaskan communities and has helped prevent domestic violence. In order to break the cycle of abuse in Alaska and across the country, Senator Murkowski supports continuing to provide assistance to these important programs. However, the Senator believes funding domestic violence and violence against women programs is only the first step.  She also believes we need to create a better environment for Alaskans by improving jobs, community and family health. Senator Murkowski believes that it is through an all-inclusive approach that we can most effectively combat domestic violence.

Senator Murkowski was able to address several key Alaskan concerns within the bill, by

  • Including Village Public Safety Officers (VPSOs) in the definition of law enforcement officers that can be funded via federal VAWA grants;
  • Allowing grant funds to be used to help Community Health Aides in rural Alaska respond to the needs of sexual assault and domestic violence victims; and
  • Directing Attorney General Eric Holder to consult with Alaska and report to Congress regarding whether federal funding should be provided to the Alaska Rural Justice and Law Enforcement Commission

Senator Murkowski also worked on a technical correction to the bill that addressed the concern that the bill appeared to repeal existing powers currently held by Alaska tribes. The Senator’s work addressed the concern in a way that ensures Alaska tribes lose none of the jurisdiction or authority that they have to issue or enforce domestic violence protection orders.

On April 26th, Senator Murkowski spoke on the Senate floor regarding VAWA just before the vote, touting its importance to America.