Strengthening Protections for Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act of 2025
Strengthening Protections for Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act of 2025 would broaden federal protections for domestic violence (DV) and stalking survivors by expanding who is considered an “intimate partner.” Specifically, the bill adds current or former dating partners to the definition of intimate partner and defines dating relationships to include continuing serious romantic or intimate relationships. It also extends DV-related protections to the children of dating partners. In addition, the bill creates a new federal offense: misdemeanor crime of stalking, with defined elements around harassment, intimidation, or surveillance that place someone in reasonable fear or cause emotional distress to specified individuals (including intimate partners, household members, and others connected to the victim, such as pets or service animals). The bill also strengthens gun-control provisions by adding misdemeanor stalking to the list of disqualifying conditions for firearms possession and transfer. These changes aim to improve federal response to DV and stalking and align protections with diverse relationship dynamics and state/tribal DV laws.
Key Points
- 1Expands the definition of “intimate partner” to include current or past dating partners and other individuals in relationships similar to a marriage, including those protected by DV laws in the relevant jurisdiction.
- 2Redefines “dating relationship” as a continuing serious romantic or intimate relationship, ensuring broader coverage beyond marriage or cohabitation.
- 3Extends the misdemeanor crime of domestic violence to include the children of dating partners who may be affected by DV in the household or family structure.
- 4Creates a new federal offense: misdemeanor crime of stalking, with elements requiring a course of harassment, intimidation, or surveillance that places a person in reasonable fear of harm or causes emotional distress to specified individuals (including intimate partners, co-residents, or those who share a residence, and the victim’s pets or service animals).
- 5Adds due-process protections for the new stalking offense (conditions around counsel and jury trial rights to determine conviction) and clarifies how expungement, pardons, or restoration of civil rights interact with firearms rights.
- 6Amends 18 U.S.C. 922 to add “convicted of a misdemeanor crime of stalking” as a disqualifying factor for firearms possession, shipment, transportation, or receipt.