Supporting Survivors from Faith-based Communities Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 8813 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8813

To provide for a grant program to support the establishment and operation of a national faith-based resource center on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 14, 2026

Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida (for herself, Mrs. Kim, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Randall, Ms. Salazar, Ms. Simon, and Ms. Wilson of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

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A BILL

To provide for a grant program to support the establishment and operation of a national faith-based resource center on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Supporting Survivors from Faith- based Communities Act''

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds as follows: (1) 41 percent of American women and 26.3 percent of American men experience, over their lifetimes, physical violence, sexual assault, or stalking by an intimate partner with associated impacts such as injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, the need for medical care, or law enforcement involvement. (2) Faith and faith communities often play a central role in the lives of individuals experiencing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, particularly in underserved or culturally specific populations. Faith and faith communities can be a source of strength and support for victims and survivors, and can improve survivors' outcomes and resilience. (3) Many survivors of domestic or sexual violence want to be able to talk about the faith or spiritual dimensions of their healing journey with advocates, yet it is rare for advocacy programs to take into account religious or spiritual concerns raised by survivors. (4) Studies have found that spiritual and religious sources of resilience are common among survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse. (5) Clergy respondents have often reported that they have been approached by victims of domestic abuse and were often the first professional the survivor approached. (6) Religious involvement can promote greater psychological well-being for domestic violence survivors, including a greater quality of life, and decreased depression.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING IN FAITH COMMUNITIES.

(a) Definitions.-- (1) Consortium of eligible entities.--The term ``consortium of eligible entities'' means-- (A) an agreement among three or more eligible entities to collaborate in carrying out the purposes of this section, including at least two faith-based organizations representing different underserved faith communities and one culturally specific organization; and (B) wherein at least one of the eligible entities of the consortium described in subparagraph (A) has previously completed not fewer than two grants administered by the Office on Violence Against Women as a lead applicant. (2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity''-- (A) means-- (i) a faith-based nonprofit, non- governmental organization with a demonstrated history of providing trauma-informed, victim- centered training and technical assistance about the needs and experiences of victims with faith, including a population-specific organization, culturally specific organization, or tribal organization; or (ii) a non-faith-based culturally specific organization, including a tribal organization; and (B) does not include any organization or subgrantee or contractor thereof that prioritizes family cohesion, marriage, family or community privacy, opposition to divorce, sexual purity, or other considerations over the safety, autonomy, needs, and preferences of victims. A history of providing faith-based marriage counseling shall not, by itself, qualify an organization as an eligible entity. (3) Faith community.--The term ``faith community'' means a community of individuals who share a common religion or spiritual practice, including a denomination within a religion or culturally-based spiritual practice, a specific congregation, or a culturally-based spiritual community. (4) Faith institution.--The term ``faith institution'' means an organized entity within a religious community, such as a house of worship, denominational body, or other official structure of that community. (5) Religious divorce denial.--The term ``religious divorce denial'' means the refusal to cooperate in a religious divorce process or other religious marriage termination process, thereby preventing the victim from exiting the marriage despite any civil legal proceedings or civil legal judgment of divorce. (6) Spiritual abuse.--The term ``spiritual abuse'' means the use or manipulation of religion, religious law, sacred texts, or spiritual beliefs as a means of exerting coercive control or to justify domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. (7) Victim with faith.--The term ``victim with faith'' means a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking who identifies with a faith or spiritual tradition, including identifying culturally with a faith or spiritual tradition, or holds religious or spiritual beliefs, whether or not they are officially affiliated with a faith community or institution or participate in religious observances. (b) Application of Provisions of VAWA.--The definitions and grant conditions set forth in section 40002 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12291) apply for purposes of this Act. (c) In General.--The Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, may award grants to a consortium of eligible entities in order to provide for the establishment and operation of a national faith-based resource center on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The resource center shall provide education, training, and technical assistance to faith communities, faith institutions, victim service providers, community-based and culturally specific organizations, and Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies, and criminal and civil legal system stakeholders, and shall engage in other activities to-- (1) improve the response of victim service organizations, legal assistance providers, law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, child protective services, housing providers, and other stakeholders to victims with faith; and (2) enhance the capacity of faith communities and faith institutions to prevent and respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. (d) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a consortium of eligible entities shall submit an application to the Attorney General at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Attorney General may require, including-- (1) information to demonstrate a collective history of providing training and technical assistance to one or more faith communities about trauma-informed, victim-centered prevention and responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; (2) information to demonstrate a collective history of providing training and technical assistance about one or more faith communities and the needs of victims with faith to mainstream victim service providers; (3) an attestation that the safety and autonomy of victims with faith and their children are the primary priority of all consortium members, and consortium members, subgrantees, or contractors will not prioritize family cohesion, marriage, family or community privacy, opposition to divorce, sexual purity, or other considerations over the safety, autonomy, needs, and preferences of victims; (4) a plan to engage with experts from faith communities not directly represented by consortium members to provide training and technical assistance to and about those communities; (5) evidence of longstanding relationships with faith-based organizations and stakeholders representing a variety of other faith communities; and (6) a plan to establish and be advised by a victim advisory working group composed of victims with faith, including those who are underserved for reasons in addition to faith, which shall meet periodically throughout the grant period to inform the activities carried out under the grant. Members of the victim advisory working group shall be compensated for their participation. (e) Use of Funds.--A consortium of eligible entities may use funds under this section to-- (1) provide training and technical assistance to faith communities, faith institutions, seminaries and clergy training programs, faith-based schools and institutes of higher education, faith youth groups, clergy and lay leaders, and other faith stakeholders to equip them to-- (A) understand and recognize domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including the impact on children; (B) draw upon faith values and texts to raise awareness about and address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; (C) develop and implement prevention programs that are consistent with faith teachings and trauma- informed, victim-centered practices; (D) educate community members about religious arbitration agreements, terms of religious marital contracts, and other religious premarital or marital documents intended to prevent or discourage religious divorce denial; (E) support victims with faith within their faith communities in a victim-centered and trauma-informed manner; (F) refer victims with faith to local victim service providers, including population-specific and culturally specific programs, and other resources; (G) hold offenders accountable, including implementing restorative practices in collaboration with entities receiving funding authorized under section 41801 of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994; (H) support offender behavior change; (I) enact safety protocols to protect victims with faith; (J) understand legal issues impacting victims with faith and uphold protection orders and child custody orders; (K) engage in peer-to-peer learning and teaching, including with other faith communities; (L) participate in coordinated community responses; (M) prevent and respond to forced marriage; or (N) undertake other activities to prevent, respond to, address, or support victims of faith; (2) provide training and technical assistance to victim service providers and State and Tribal coalitions, legal service providers, housing providers, and other nonprofit organizations working with victims with faith, and to criminal and civil justice agencies, including law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, probation and parole staff, and child protective services to empower them to-- (A) incorporate faith communities into coordinated community responses; (B) address unique needs and experiences of victims with faith, including spiritual abuse; (C) understand and address barriers that victims with faith face when seeking safety and services, including unconscious bias; (D) implement faith-specific considerations and best practices for working with and supporting victims with faith, including-- (i) providing religiously-appropriate food and dietary accommodations in shelters and transitional housing; (ii) to the greatest extent practicable, understanding and taking into account faith- based modesty norms, dress requirements, and related cultural norms, including during interactions involving law enforcement personnel; and (iii) accommodating daily prayer, rituals, or other faith-based observances, such as prayer timing and pre- and post-meal blessings; (E) implement best practices for interacting with and collaborating with faith communities; (F) in the context of intimate partner homicides, honor faith traditions related to the care and handling of the deceased; or (G) undertake other activities to prevent, respond to, address, or support victims of faith; (3) provide appropriate training and technical assistance to other stakeholders, including-- (A) health professionals; (B) researchers; (C) disaster response coordinators and organizers; and (D) faith-based, secular, and non-sectarian social service agencies; (4) support the Office on Violence Against Women in convening faith communities, victim service providers, culturally specific programs, population-specific programs, victims, other stakeholders, and federal government personnel to identify areas of strength, ongoing challenges, and emerging issues to guide future training and technical assistance, and grantmaking; and (5) support the establishment and operation of a victim advisory working group required under subsection (c)(6), including compensation for members. (f) Establishment Phase.--During the first year of the initial grant cycle, the consortium shall use grant funds solely for the purpose of establishing the basic administrative and operational infrastructure necessary to operate the National Resource Center, including initial staffing, governance structures, and core systems to support its activities, as well as developing partnerships to understand and address the needs of communities that are underserved for reasons other than, or in addition to, faith. (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $2,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031. (h) Availability of Grant Funds.--Funds appropriated under this section shall remain available until expended. (i) Rules of Construction.-- (1) Funds made available under this section shall not be used to proselytize, to promote any religion or religious viewpoint, to promote religiosity or increased religious observance, or for any other purposes related to faith or religion that are prohibited under federal, state, Tribal, or local law or violate the Constitutional separation of religion and state. (2) Funds made available under this section shall supplement, not supplant, existing Office on Violence Against Women grants focused on specific faith communities.

SEC. 4. MODEL STATE CODE.

The Attorney General shall, in consultation with experts in religious divorce denial, advocates working with victims experiencing religious divorce denial, victims who have experienced religious divorce denial, faith leaders, faith communities, and population- specific victim service providers, develop and publish model State legislative language to address religious divorce denial. This model legislative language shall take into account relevant religious laws and cultural practices, and be designed to be workable within affected faith communities, while remaining consistent with the requirements of the Constitution.

SEC. 5. REPORTING AND EVALUATION.

(a) Reports to the Attorney General.--On the date that is 1 year after first receiving a grant under this Act, and annually thereafter for the duration of the grant period, each consortium of eligible entities shall submit to the Attorney General, acting through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, a report that includes-- (1) a description of activities conducted under the grant and populations served; and (2) an assessment of the effectiveness of such activities in achieving the purposes of this Act. (b) Reports to Congress.--Not later than November 1 of each even- numbered fiscal year, the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women shall compile and summarize the reports submitted under subsection (a) and submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate a report on the activities and effectiveness of the program established under this Act. <all>