The National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (“NTF”), of which NCADV is a member, announced today its support for the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act of 2018 as introduced in the House of Representatives by Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX-18).

This bill continues important protections while also making modest yet vital enhancements to the existing Violence Against Women Act (“VAWA”) based on needs identified by direct service providers who work daily with victims and survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking (“the four crimes”). These include provisions that: 

• Make important investments in prevention;
• Provide resources to implement evidence-based prevention programming;
• Safeguard important protections to ensure that all victims and survivors have access to safety and justice;
• Provide a mechanism to hold people who prey on Native women accountable;
• Provide law enforcement with new resources to develop more trauma-informed approaches;
• Protect victims and survivors from abusers with dangerous weapons;
• Offer improved protections for survivors in federal public, subsidized and assisted housing;
• Support victims and survivors who need help rebuilding financially after experiencing violence;
• Address the needs of underserved communities; and
• Improve healthcare responses to the four crimes.

Ruth M. Glenn, the President/CEO of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (“NCADV”), said, “The Reauthorization of VAWA is critical for those who are harmed by abusers, for those who serve as advocates and those who must work in law enforcement and other systems to assist victims. This bill will improve some of the strong prevention and protections that already exist in VAWA. NCADV feels strongly that every opportunity to provide support for all victims of the four crimes and those that serve them is a win for this nation.”

The NTF is a national collaboration comprising a large and diverse group of national, tribal, state, territorial, and local organizations; advocates; and individuals that focuses on the development, passage and implementation of effective public policy to address and prevent domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.