Sec. 16. National Indian domestic violence hotline grant
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Congress finds that— 84.3 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native women have experienced violence in their lifetime; 81.6 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native men have experienced violence in their lifetime; 56.1 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native women will experience sexual violence in their lifetime; 55.5 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native women will experience intimate partner violence in their lifetime; 48.8 percent of American Indian and Alaska Native women will experience stalking; 38 percent of American Indian and Alaska Natives female victims have been previously unable to access victim assistance services;
Indian Tribes require additional criminal justice and victim services resources to respond to violent assaults against women; the unique legal relationship of the United States to Indian Tribes creates a Federal trust responsibility to assist Tribal governments in safeguarding the lives of Indian women; and a national Indian domestic violence hotline is required to increase access of Indian adult and youth victims of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence to Tribal victim services and resources.
The purpose of this section is to increase the availability of information and assistance to Indian adult or youth victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, family and household members of such victim, and individuals affected by such victimization by supporting a national, toll-free telephonic and digital hotline to provide services that are— informed of Federal Indian law and Tribal laws impacting Indian victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence; culturally appropriate to Indian adult and youth victims; and developed in cooperation with victim services offered by Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations.
The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act ( 42 U.S.C. 10401 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 313 the following: The Secretary shall award a grant to a Tribal organization or private, non-profit entity to maintain the ongoing operation of a national, toll-free telephonic and digital hotline service to provide information and assistance to Indian adult and youth victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, family and household members of such victims, and other individuals affected by such victimization.
The Secretary shall award a grant under this section for a period of not more than 5 years. The provision of payments under a grant awarded under this section shall be subject to annual approval by the Secretary and subject to the availability of appropriations for each fiscal year to make the payments. To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall be a Tribal organization or a nonprofit private organization that focuses primarily on issues of domestic violence as it relates to American Indians and Alaska Natives, and submit an application to the Secretary that shall— contain such agreements, assurances, and information, be in such form, and be submitted in such manner, as the Secretary shall prescribe; include a complete description of the applicant’s plan for the operation of a national Indian domestic violence hotline and digital services, including descriptions of— the training program for advocacy personnel relating to the provision of culturally appropriate and legally accurate services, information, resources and referrals for Indian victims of domestic, dating, and family violence; the training program for advocacy personnel, relating to technology requirements to ensure that all persons affiliated with the hotline and digital services are able to effectively operate any technological systems required to provide the necessary services used by the hotline; the hiring criteria and qualifications for advocacy personnel, including the applicant, to ensure that hotline advocates and other personnel have demonstrated knowledge of Indian legal, social, and cultural issues, to ensure that the unique needs of Indian callers and users of digital services are met; the methods for the creation, maintenance, and updating of a resource database of culturally appropriate victim services and resources available from Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations; a plan for publicizing the availability of the services from the national Indian hotline to Indian victims of domestic violence and dating violence; a plan for providing service to non-English speaking callers, including service through hotline and digital services personnel who have non-English language capability; a plan for facilitating access to hotline and digital services by individuals with hearing impairments; and a plan for providing assistance and referrals to Indian youth victims of domestic violence and for victims of dating violence who are minors, which may be carried out through a national Indian youth dating violence hotline, digital services, or other resources; demonstrate recognized expertise providing services, including information on healthy relationships and referrals for Indian victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence and coordinating services with Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations; demonstrate support from Indian victim services programs, Tribal coalitions recognized by the Office on Violence Against Women and Tribal grantees under this title; demonstrate capacity and the expertise to maintain a domestic violence hotline, digital services and a comprehensive database of service providers from Indian Tribes or Tribal organizations; demonstrate compliance with nondisclosure requirements as described in section 306(c)(5) and following comprehensive quality assurance practices; and contain such other information as the Secretary may require.
An entity that receives a grant under this section shall use funds made available through the grant for the purpose described in subsection (a), consistent with paragraph (2). In establishing and operating the hotline, the entity— shall contract with a carrier for the use of a toll-free telephone line and an internet service provider for digital services; shall employ, train (including providing technology training), and supervise personnel to answer incoming calls and digital services contacts, provide counseling, healthy relationship and referral services for Indian callers and digital services users, directly connect callers, and assist digital services users in connecting to service providers; shall assemble and maintain a database of information relating to services for Indian victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence to which Indian callers or digital services users may be referred, including information on the availability of shelters and supportive services for victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence; shall widely publicize the hotline and digital services throughout Indian Tribes and communities, including— national and regional member organizations of Indian Tribes;
Tribal domestic violence services programs; and Tribal non-profit victim service providers; at the discretion of the hotline operator, may provide appropriate assistance and referrals for family and household members of Indian victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, and Indians affected by the victimization described in subsection (a); and at the discretion of the hotline operator, may provide assistance, or referrals for counseling or intervention, for identified Indian perpetrators, including self-identified perpetrators, of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, but shall not be required to provide such assistance or referrals in any circumstance in which the hotline operator fears the safety of a victim may be impacted by an abuser or suspected abuser.
The entity receiving a grant under this section shall submit a performance report to the Secretary at such time as shall be reasonably required by the Secretary. Such performance report shall describe the activities that have been carried out with such grant funds, contain an evaluation of the effectiveness of such activities, and provide such additional information as the Secretary may reasonably require. .
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Sec. 16
National Indian domestic violence hotline grant
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