§ 20124. Enhancing culturally specific services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking

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(a)Establishment

(1)In general Of the amounts appropriated under certain grant programs identified in paragraph (2), the Attorney General, through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (referred to in this section as the “Director”), shall take 15 percent of such appropriated amounts for the program under paragraph (2)(A) and 5 percent of such appropriated amounts for the programs under subparagraphs

(B)through

(E)of paragraph

(2)and combine them to establish a new grant program to enhance culturally specific services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Grants made under this new program shall be administered by the Director. The requirements of the grant programs identified in paragraph

(2)shall not apply to this new grant program.

(2)Programs covered The programs covered by paragraph

(1)are the programs carried out under the following provisions:

(A)Section 10461 of this title (Grants to Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders).

(B)Section 20121 of this title 1 (Legal Assistance for Victims).

(C)Section 12341 of this title (Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, Stalking, and Child Abuse Enforcement Assistance).

(D)Section 14041a of title 42 (Enhanced Training and Services to End Violence Against Women Later in Life).1

(E)Section 20122 of this title (Education, Training, and Enhanced Services to End Violence Against and Abuse of Women with Disabilities).

(3)Additional authorization of appropriations In addition to the amounts made available under paragraph (1), there are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027.

(4)Distribution

(A)In general Of the total amount available for grants under this section, not less than 40 percent of such funds shall be allocated for programs or projects that meaningfully address non-intimate partner relationship sexual assault.

(B)Alternative allocation Notwithstanding 12291(b)(11) 2 of this title, the Director may allocate a portion of funds described in subparagraph

(A)to enhanced technical assistance relating to non-intimate partner sexual assault if the Office on Violence Against Women does not receive sufficient qualified applications proposing to address non-intimate partner relationship sexual assault.

(b)Purpose of program and grants

(1)General program purpose The purpose of the program required by this section is to promote:

(A)The maintenance and replication of existing successful services in domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking community-based programs providing culturally specific services and other resources.

(B)The development of innovative culturally specific strategies and projects to enhance access to services and resources for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who face obstacles to using more traditional services and resources.

(2)Purposes for which grants may be used The Director shall make grants to community-based programs for the purpose of enhancing culturally specific services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Grants under the program shall support community-based efforts to address distinctive cultural responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including—

(A)working with State and local governments and social service agencies to develop and enhance effective strategies to provide culturally specific services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking;

(B)increasing communities’ capacity to provide culturally specific resources and support for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking crimes and their families;

(C)strengthening criminal justice interventions, by providing training for law enforcement, prosecution, courts, probation, and correctional facilities on culturally specific responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking;

(D)enhancing traditional services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking through the leadership of culturally specific programs offering services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking;

(E)working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies highlighting culturally specific issues and resources regarding victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking;

(F)providing culturally specific programs for children exposed to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking;

(G)providing culturally specific resources and services that address the safety, economic, housing, and workplace needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, including emergency assistance; or

(H)examining the dynamics of culture and its impact on victimization and healing.

(3)Technical assistance and training The Director shall provide technical assistance and training to grantees of this and other programs under this Act regarding the development and provision of effective culturally specific community-based services by entering into cooperative agreements or contracts with an organization or organizations having a demonstrated expertise in and whose primary purpose is addressing the development and provision of culturally specific community-based services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Not less than 1 such organization shall have demonstrated expertise primarily in domestic violence services, and not less than 1 such organization shall have demonstrated expertise primarily in non-intimate partner sexual assault services.

(c)Eligible entities Eligible entities for grants under this Section 3 include—

(1)community-based programs whose primary purpose is providing culturally specific services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and

(2)community-based programs whose primary purpose is providing culturally specific services who can partner with a program having demonstrated expertise in serving victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

(d)Reporting The Director shall issue a biennial report on the distribution of funding under this section, the progress made in replicating and supporting increased services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who face obstacles to using more traditional services and resources, and the types of culturally accessible programs, strategies, technical assistance, and training developed or enhanced through this program.

(e)Evaluation The Director shall award a contract or cooperative agreement to evaluate programs under this section to an entity with the demonstrated expertise in and primary goal of providing enhanced cultural access to services and resources for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who face obstacles to using more traditional services and resources.

(f)Non-exclusivity Nothing in this Section 3 shall be interpreted to exclude culturally specific community-based programs from applying to other grant programs authorized under this Act.

(g)Definitions and grant conditions In this section the definitions and grant conditions in section 12291 of this title shall apply.

(Pub. L. 109–162, title I, § 121, Jan. 5, 2006, 119 Stat. 2991; Pub. L. 109–271, §§ 1(c)(3), 2(k), Aug. 12, 2006, 120 Stat. 751, 753; Pub. L. 113–4, title I, § 109, Mar. 7, 2013, 127 Stat. 80; Pub. L. 117–103, div. W, title I, § 108, title IX, § 901(e), Mar. 15, 2022, 136 Stat. 852, 911.)

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