New Jersey-2020-ACR132-Introduced

A Concurrent Resolution urging Congress and the President of the United States to reauthorize the "Family Violence Prevention and Services Act."

Whereas, The "Family Violence Prevention and Services Act" (FVPSA) was the first federal law to address domestic violence, and today provides the primary federal funding stream in support of victims of domestic and dating violence and their dependents; and

Whereas, Each year, more than 1,600 community-based programs receiving FVPSA funds provide emergency shelter, counseling, legal assistance, crisis intervention, and domestic and dating violence prevention education to 1.3 million victims; and

Whereas, The FVPSA funds programs such as the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In fiscal year 2017, trained operators and advocates on the Hotline provided important victim assistance services by answering 323,081 total phone calls, text messages, and online chats; and

Whereas, A study conducted by the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) revealed that in just one day in 2017, 72,245 victims of domestic violence across the United States received crucial services such as refuge in emergency shelters and transitional housing, counseling, legal advocacy, and children's support groups; and

Whereas, The same study found that 1,288 of those victims were located in New Jersey; and

Whereas, Despite the volume of services that FVPSA-funded shelters and programs provide daily, the NNEDV study noted that 11,441 requests for services, 131 of which were in New Jersey, went unmet due to lack of funding and resources; and

Whereas, A federal law enacted in 2010 reauthorized, or allowed for formal continued federal funding of, FVPSA through 2015, but the FVPSA has not been reauthorized since; and

Whereas, Bipartisan legislation, pending before the United States Senate and House of Representatives as S.2784 and H.R.6014, would reauthorize FVPSA funding from 2019 to 2023; and

Whereas, While FVPSA has continued to receive federal appropriations since its authorization ended in 2015, funding has been consistently less than the $175 million annual appropriation authorized in the law, leaving an unacceptable gap between desperate need and available resources; and

Whereas, Passage and enactment of the FVPSA reauthorization legislation would help to protect the law from significant future funding cuts and a reduction in life-saving services to victims of domestic and dating violence; now, therefore,

Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey (the Senate concurring):

1. The Legislature of this State respectfully urges Congress and the President of the United States to reauthorize the "Family Violence Prevention and Services Act", pending before the United States Senate and House of Representatives as S.2784 and H.R.6014.

2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General Assembly to the Majority and Minority Leaders of the United States Senate; the Speaker and Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives; and every member of Congress elected from this State.

STATEMENT

This concurrent resolution urges Congress and the President of the United States to reauthorize the "Family Violence Prevention and Services Act" (FVPSA). A federal law enacted in 2010 reauthorized, or allowed for formal continued federal funding of, the FVPSA until 2015, but the FVPSA has not been reauthorized since. Bipartisan legislation, pending before the United States Senate and House of Representatives as S.2784 and H.R.6014, would reauthorize FVPSA funding from 2019 to 2023.

FVPSA provides the primary federal funding stream in support of victims of domestic and dating violence and their dependents. Each year, the FVPSA, through various grants, helps fund over 1,600 community-based programs that provide emergency shelter, counseling, legal assistance, crisis intervention, and domestic and dating violence prevention education to 1.3 million victims nationwide. The law also funds the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and has a staff of trained operators and advocates who, in fiscal year 2017, answered 323,081 total phone calls, text messages, and online chats.

A study conducted by the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) revealed that in just one day in 2017, 72,245 victims of domestic violence across the United States, 1,288 of whom were from New Jersey, received crucial services supported by the FVPSA. Despite the volume of services that FVPSA-funded shelters and programs provide daily, the NNEDV study noted that 11,441 requests for services, 131 of which were in New Jersey, went unmet due to lack of funding and resources.

During a time in which domestic violence shelters overwhelmingly report that they struggle to meet demand for critical services, reauthorization of the FVPSA will help ensure protection against significant future funding cuts.