Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Act
This bill, the Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Act, creates two connected grant-based programs to address technology-related abuse in domestic violence and related contexts. It establishes a five-year pilot program under the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) to fund up to 15 consortia (each up to $2 million) that combine higher education institutions or tech-sector partners with local domestic violence or sexual violence centers to combat technological abuse. The bill also authorizes a separate grant program (up to $20 million total over five years) to fund education, training, and technical assistance on technological abuse for organizations and individuals supporting victims. It requires interagency consultation, periodic evaluations, and reporting to Congress, and it defines the eligible consortia and key terms (including “technological abuse” as defined in the Violence Against Women Act). In short, the bill aims to bring technology experts into survivor services, improve tools and training to prevent tech abuse, and provide funding to pilot new approaches over a five-year period with formal oversight and evaluation.
Key Points
- 1Pilot program to combat technological abuse: The Director may award grants to eligible consortia to address tech abuse in domestic violence and related cases, for up to five years with grants not exceeding $2 million per recipient and no more than 15 total recipients.
- 2Eligible consortia requirements: Each consortium must include one or more institutions of higher education or tech-sector partners with a plan to recruit technologists to work with a victim service provider, plus one or more domestic violence or sexual violence centers, and must have a letter of support from the applicable local/state/tribal government.
- 3Use of pilot funds: Grants may be used to combat technological abuse, including purchasing new devices for victims and delivering victim services and other activities that reduce tech abuse or aid survivors.
- 4Education and training grants: A separate program to fund nonprofits and colleges/universities to develop and deliver training, curricula, tools, and technical assistance on technological abuse; total funding not to exceed $20 million over five years.
- 5Oversight, evaluation, and reporting: The Director must conduct a three-year review of the pilot program’s efficacy, challenges, and whether it should become permanent, and provide post-termination evaluations with best practices; the Director also consults with HHS, Education, and the FCC and must report to Congress on findings.