Sec. 116. National Indian domestic violence hotline grant
1,080 words·~5 min read·
/bill/119/s/3764/is/section-116A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The purpose of this section is to increase the availability of 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 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 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, nonprofit entity to maintain the ongoing operation of a 24-hour, national, toll-free telephonic hotline and digital services 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 family violence, domestic violence, and dating 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, including training on the provision of culturally appropriate services, Federal Indian law and Tribal laws impacting Indian victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, and resources and referrals for such victims; the qualifications of the applicant and the hiring criteria and qualifications for advocacy personnel, 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 national Indian hotline and digital services to Indian victims of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence; a plan for providing service to callers and digital services users with limited English proficiency, including service through advocacy personnel who have non-English language capability; a plan for facilitating access to hotline and digital services by persons with disabilities, including individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing or are blind or have visual impairments, and for training hotline and digital services personnel in assisting persons with disabilities when those persons are accessing the hotline and digital services; and a plan for providing assistance and referrals to Indian youth victims of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence, which plan may be carried out through a national Indian youth dating violence hotline and other digital services and 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 Domestic Violence Coalitions 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 302A(b) 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 and digital services, the entity— shall contract with a carrier for the use of a 24-hour toll-free telephone line and an internet service provider for operating digital services in accessible formats including TTY and interpreter services, where applicable; shall employ, train (including providing technology training), and supervise personnel to answer incoming calls and digital services contacts, provide counseling, healthy relationship information, and referral services for Indian callers and digital services users on a 24-hour-a-day basis, 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 shelter and supportive services for victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence; shall widely publicize the hotline and digital services (and, as appropriate, in accessible formats, including formats compliant with the most recent Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or successor guideline as applicable) throughout Indian Tribes and communities, including— national and regional member organizations of Indian Tribes;
Tribal domestic violence services programs; and Tribal nonprofit victim service providers; at the discretion of the hotline operator or digital services provider, 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 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 or digital services provider 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 report to the Secretary at such time as shall be reasonably required by the Secretary. Such 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. .
Connectionstraces to 1
Traces to 1 document
U.S. Code
Citation graph
cites case law
Sec. 116
National Indian domestic violence hotline grant
Cites 1Cited by 0 across 0 sources