H.R. 6301

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6301 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 6301

To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
comprehensive, culturally informed, and community-engaged study of 
gender-based violence in Puerto Rico, including its causes, prevalence, 
systemic drivers, and potential policy solutions, taking into account 
the island's cultural, economic, educational, infrastructural, and 
post-disaster challenges.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

November 25, 2025

Mr. Hernandez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a 
comprehensive, culturally informed, and community-engaged study of 
gender-based violence in Puerto Rico, including its causes, prevalence, 
systemic drivers, and potential policy solutions, taking into account 
the island's cultural, economic, educational, infrastructural, and 
post-disaster challenges.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Violence Impact and Vulnerabilities 
Assessment Study Act'' or the ``VIVAS Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:
(1) Gender-based violence, including femicides, domestic 
abuse, and sexual violence constitutes a serious public health 
and human rights crisis in Puerto Rico, disproportionately 
affecting women, the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as other 
vulnerable and marginalized communities.
(2) This type of violence can take many forms, including 
physical, sexual, emotional, and psychological harm.
(3) Existing data on gender violence in Puerto Rico is 
fragmented and insufficient, impeding effective policy 
responses and resource allocation, in part due to the absence 
of a unified and transparent public data system capable of 
integrating information across governmental and non-
governmental sources.
(4) The role of local organizations and community advocates 
is critical in addressing the crisis, yet their contributions 
are not adequately documented or integrated into formal 
government strategies.
(5) There is a pressing need for a comprehensive, 
culturally informed, and data-driven assessment of gender 
violence in Puerto Rico, including an evaluation of 
governmental policies, educational approaches, and community-
based interventions.
(6) Such an assessment should include an independent and 
thorough study on the causes, impact, and systemic responses to 
gender-based violence in Puerto Rico, with particular attention 
to cultural context, economic conditions, infrastructure 
challenges, and the role of local organizations, in order to 
effectively inform Federal and local policy and programming, as 
well as sustainable investments in reliable, publicly 
accessible data systems.

SEC. 3. COMPREHENSIVE STUDY ON GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN PUERTO RICO.

(a) Comptroller General.--The Comptroller General of the United 
States shall conduct a comprehensive study on gender-based violence in 
Puerto Rico. The study shall assess each of the following:
(1) The prevalence, severity, and types of gender violence 
across Puerto Rico, disaggregated by demographic and geographic 
factors, including--
(A) detailed analysis of methods and patterns of 
violence (e.g., physical force, weapons, coercive 
control, economic dependence, digital abuse);
(B) the settings in which violence occurs (e.g., 
home, workplace, public space); and
(C) the relationship between victim and 
perpetrator.
(2) Historical and recent trends, including changes after--
(A) natural disasters (such as hurricanes Maria and 
Fiona);
(B) economic crises and austerity measures; and
(C) the COVID-19 pandemic.
(3) The manner and extent of the effects on the prevalence, 
severity, and types of gender violence of cultural norms, 
structural poverty and economic dependency, gender identity and 
sexual orientation, educational disparities and unemployment, 
inadequate transportation, housing, utility infrastructure, 
climate vulnerability and disaster risk, and other factors the 
Comptroller General may determine relevant.
(4) Institutional response and capacity, including with 
respect to--
(A) law enforcement and judicial practices;
(B) health and social service systems;
(C) shelter access and emergency housing;
(D) access to mental health and trauma care; and
(E) and substance use disorder treatment.
(5) Barriers to prevention, protection, and justice, such 
as under-reporting due to stigma and fear, inaccessibility of 
services in rural areas, police and prosecutorial shortcomings, 
or lack of culturally competent or trauma-informed services.
(6) The intersection of disaster events and gender 
violence, including the role of infrastructure collapse, 
displacement, and stressors in exacerbating violence and levels 
of access to shelters and services during and after disasters.
(7) Data infrastructure and reporting systems, including:
(A) existing Federal, Commonwealth, and local data 
systems;
(B) gaps in reporting, accuracy, and demographic 
disaggregation; and
(C) recommendations to improve data collection and 
transparency, including evaluation of the creation and 
implementation of a publicly accessible data system 
with clear standards for integration of governmental 
and civil-society-generated information.
(8) Public access to femicide-related data and case 
updates, judicial outcomes and impunity rates, and Government 
accountability mechanisms and oversight, including current 
barriers to timely public disclosure and transparency.
(b) Additional Elements.--
(1) Organizational impact analysis.--The study required by 
subsection (a) shall also include--
(A) an examination of the reach of local 
interventions, the way local organizations and 
interventions work to fill systemic gaps to fill 
systemic gaps, and challenges in sustainability, 
infrastructure, and funding; and
(B) recommendations for--
(i) increasing support and additional 
funding to local Puerto Rican organizations;
(ii) improving coordination between local, 
Commonwealth, and Federal entities;
(iii) protecting grassroots leadership and 
survivor-centered solutions; and
(iv) ensuring disaster-resilient service 
delivery.
(2) Analysis of governmental response to femicide.--Upon 
concluding the study required by subsection (a), the 
Comptroller General shall evaluate--
(A) the Puerto Rican Government's current policies 
and institutional strategies to prevent femicide and 
gender-based violence, with emphasis on analyzing--
(i) public education campaigns;
(ii) strategic plans and Executive orders; 
and
(iii) budget allocations and implementation 
status;
(B) the effectiveness of education-focused 
governmental initiatives compared to--
(i) law enforcement reform;
(ii) survivor services and safe housing;
(iii) judicial accountability; or
(iv) mental health and trauma support;
(C) the extent to which education-centered 
approaches address--
(i) root causes versus symptoms;
(ii) urgent protection versus long-term 
cultural change; or
(iii) urban versus rural disparities; and
(D) the results of input from civil society, 
survivors, and impacted communities on effectiveness, 
gaps, delays or displacement of interventions, 
including cases where civil society data or monitoring 
efforts identify inconsistencies with official 
reporting.
(c) Inclusion of Local Organizations and Community Participants.--
In carrying out the study required by subsection (a), the Comptroller 
General shall--
(1) actively engage with Puerto Rican local organizations, 
such as--
(A) women's organizations and shelters;
(B) LGBTQ+ advocacy groups;
(C) survivor-led initiatives;
(D) youth and disability rights advocates; and
(E) academic institutions and researchers including 
entities that maintain independent monitoring or data-
collection initiatives in the absence of formalized 
governmental systems; and
(2) include as a part of such engagement--
(A) community roundtables and listening sessions;
(B) inclusion in research design and data 
interpretation; and
(C) opportunities for written and oral testimony.

SEC. 4. REPORT.

(a) Interim Report.--The Comptroller General shall publish an 
interim report not later than 270 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, consisting of such findings as the Comptroller General may 
have reached, as of the date of the publication of the interim report, 
with respect to the study required by section 3(a) and the additional 
elements required by section 3(b).
(b) Final Report.--Not later than 540 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress 
and concurrently publish in a publicly available form in both English 
and Spanish a report that includes--
(1) all findings from the study required by section 3(a);
(2) all additional elements required by section 3(b);
(3) disaggregation of the data and findings by municipality 
in Puerto Rico;
(4) the evidence-based recommendations of the Comptroller 
General with respect to--
(A) enhancing or supplementing existing strategies 
to better balance prevention through education with 
structural reform and direct protections;
(B) integrating education within a comprehensive, 
multi-sectoral strategy that incorporates law 
enforcement, health systems, social services, and 
emergency management; and
(C) building transparent, measurable, and 
participatory oversight systems, including through 
periodic reporting, public dashboards, independent 
evaluations, and survivor feedback mechanisms, with 
particular attention to ensuring sustained funding, 
public accessibility, and long-term maintenance of any 
recommended data systems;
(5) a description of mechanisms for ongoing Federal and 
local collaboration; and
(6) any other policy, funding, data infrastructure or other 
recommendations the Comptroller General determines appropriate, 
whether addressed to Federal entities or to agencies of the 
Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, as a result of concluding the 
study and analysis required by section 3, including options for 
establishing or enhancing unified public data system on gender-
based violence in Puerto Rico.
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