What will happen to VAWA?

As many of you know, The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA IV) is up for re-authorization this year. VAWA was originally signed into law in 1994, and has since been re-authorized in 2000 and 2005. VAWA is a critical piece of legislation that provides funding for investigation and prosecution for violence against women, as well as funding for sexual assault and domestic violence programs across the country. VAWA, like EVAWI, encourages initiatives that strengthen the community response to violence against women.

New provisions were included this year to add protections for specific populations such as for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community, Native American community, and immigrant victims of sexual assault.

This year, unlike any previous re-authorization, VAWA has become a forum for political debate. While the Senate overwhelmingly passed the version including the provisions mentioned above, the House passed their own, dramatically different, version last week. The House version does not include the provisions listed above. Both sides are currently refusing to negotiate on each other’s bill. 

Where does this leave us? VAWA actually expired last fall, and many programs are currently relying on temporary funding to keep their doors open.  Many programs are concerned about what this means for continued funding for their much needed services to victims of sexual and domestic violence.