The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee Thursday approved Sen. Chuck Grassley’s (R-Iowa) bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) as part of a broader package of child and family safety legislation, known as the CAPTA Reauthorization Act.
“The programs approved will make a real difference to families across the country who deal with domestic violence and abuse. No one should face those problems alone and our provisions will make sure there’s help for any child, woman or man who needs it. I thank Chairman Alexander and Ranking Member Murray for their leadership and continued work to improve child and family safety,” Grassley said.
The legislation that Grassley introduced in January extends the main source of funding for programs established under the FVPSA. These programs, administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, include emergency shelters and other supportive services for survivors of domestic violence across the country. The bill also extends funding for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Congress first adopted FVPSA in 1984, and its most recent authorization expired several years ago. Grassley’s reauthorization measure was merged with a related provision introduced by Sens. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Murkowski (R-Alaska) and approved as part of a child safety and welfare package.
The original version of Grassley’s bipartisan reauthorization bill is cosponsored by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).
