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Rep. Wild Votes to Pass Bipartisan Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021

March 18, 2021

WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Susan Wild (PA-07) voted to pass the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act (VAWA) of 2021 through the House. The bipartisan legislation authorizes funding for a variety of critical grant programs, including for victim services, prevention, training, education, enforcement, economic stability, and other programs that support survivors and help them to heal and to access justice.

"Getting out of an abusive home already poses incredible challenges for survivors. Now, the reality of this pandemic has made it even more difficult—and even more imperative that we protect victims of domestic violence," Wild said. "The strength to report domestic and sexual violence should be met with legal assistance equally as strong. Thanks to VAWA, reporting among survivors has increased and criminal justice responses to gender-based violence have improved over the last two decades. Let's stand with survivors and reauthorize—and strengthen—this critical legislation."

VAWA's authorization expired in 2018. Last Congress, the House passed a bipartisan reauthorization, but the Senate failed to take it up. The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 is an updated version of the bill passed last Congress. It addresses the challenges identified by survivors and by domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, and other organizations that serve survivors. It has now been eight years since VAWA was last authorized. The landmark legislation, enacted in 1994, responds to our nation's crisis of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 strengthens current law by:

  • Enhancing and expanding victim services;
  • Reauthorizing grant programs to improve the criminal justice response to gender-based violence and expanding allowable uses;
  • Investing in prevention;
  • Improving access to housing for victims and survivors;
  • Helping survivors gain and maintaining economic independence;
  • Ending impunity for child abuse co-occurring with domestic violence, stalking, sex trafficking, and assaults on tribal law enforcement officers on tribal lands;
  • Supporting Communities of Color;
  • Protecting victims of dating violence from firearm homicide;
  • Maintaining existing protections for all survivors; and
  • Improving the healthcare system's response to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

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