Survivors of Domestic Violence Need FVPSA Re-Authorization

As your constituent, I urge you to support survivors of domestic violence, family violence, and dating violence by encouraging Congressional leadership to pass the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 2021 before the end of the 117th Congress. Every day, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) funds programs across the country to provide survivors with essential support, safety, and services to rebuild their lives and heal from abuse. Unfortunately, FVPSA has not been reauthorized since 2010, leaving it vulnerable to funding cuts and leaving gaps in improving survivors’ access to resources. FVPSA is the only source of dedicated federal funding for more than 1,500 domestic violence shelters and programs across the nation, supporting more than 240 tribes and tribal organizations to address and prevent domestic violence, and creating a network of state and territorial coalitions and national technical assistance providers — all working to ensure vital crisis services are available to families experiencing domestic or dating violence. FVPSA also provides funding for the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which is dedicated to providing 24/7 assistance to survivors of family, domestic, and dating violence and those trying to assist them as well as StrongHearts Native Helpline, a Native-specific helpline serving Native American survivors. This bi-partisan reauthorization bill will increase overall funding, build prevention programs, create specialized grant programs for culturally specific and underserved communities, strengthen the capacity of Indian tribes, and make other enhancements to better meet survivor needs. FVPSA is critical, life-saving legislation that survivors rely on for safety. It’s time Congress took action to reauthorize the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act to include increased funding for current programs and support investments for prevention and marginalized survivors. I urge you to do everything you can to ensure FVPSA is passed before the end of the 117th Congress. Thank you for your continued support for domestic violence survivors. I look forward to your response.