H.R. 8813

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8813 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8813

To provide for a grant program to support the establishment and 
operation of a national faith-based resource center on domestic 
violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 14, 2026

Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida (for herself, Mrs. Kim, Mr. Fitzpatrick, 
Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Ms. Randall, Ms. Salazar, Ms. Simon, and Ms. Wilson 
of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on the Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To provide for a grant program to support the establishment and 
operation of a national faith-based resource center on domestic 
violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

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 ``Supporting Survivors from Faith-
based Communities Act''

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds as follows:
(1) 41 percent of American women and 26.3 percent of 
American men experience, over their lifetimes, physical 
violence, sexual assault, or stalking by an intimate partner 
with associated impacts such as injury, post-traumatic stress 
disorder, the need for medical care, or law enforcement 
involvement.
(2) Faith and faith communities often play a central role 
in the lives of individuals experiencing domestic violence, 
dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, particularly in 
underserved or culturally specific populations. Faith and faith 
communities can be a source of strength and support for victims 
and survivors, and can improve survivors' outcomes and 
resilience.
(3) Many survivors of domestic or sexual violence want to 
be able to talk about the faith or spiritual dimensions of 
their healing journey with advocates, yet it is rare for 
advocacy programs to take into account religious or spiritual 
concerns raised by survivors.
(4) Studies have found that spiritual and religious sources 
of resilience are common among survivors of domestic violence, 
sexual assault, and child abuse.
(5) Clergy respondents have often reported that they have 
been approached by victims of domestic abuse and were often the 
first professional the survivor approached.
(6) Religious involvement can promote greater psychological 
well-being for domestic violence survivors, including a greater 
quality of life, and decreased depression.

SEC. 3. NATIONAL RESOURCE CENTER ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, 
SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING IN FAITH COMMUNITIES.

(a) Definitions.--
(1) Consortium of eligible entities.--The term ``consortium 
of eligible entities'' means--
(A) an agreement among three or more eligible 
entities to collaborate in carrying out the purposes of 
this section, including at least two faith-based 
organizations representing different underserved faith 
communities and one culturally specific organization; 
and
(B) wherein at least one of the eligible entities 
of the consortium described in subparagraph (A) has 
previously completed not fewer than two grants 
administered by the Office on Violence Against Women as 
a lead applicant.
(2) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity''--
(A) means--
(i) a faith-based nonprofit, non-
governmental organization with a demonstrated 
history of providing trauma-informed, victim-
centered training and technical assistance 
about the needs and experiences of victims with 
faith, including a population-specific 
organization, culturally specific organization, 
or tribal organization; or
(ii) a non-faith-based culturally specific 
organization, including a tribal organization; 
and
(B) does not include any organization or subgrantee 
or contractor thereof that prioritizes family cohesion, 
marriage, family or community privacy, opposition to 
divorce, sexual purity, or other considerations over 
the safety, autonomy, needs, and preferences of 
victims.
A history of providing faith-based marriage counseling shall 
not, by itself, qualify an organization as an eligible entity.
(3) Faith community.--The term ``faith community'' means a 
community of individuals who share a common religion or 
spiritual practice, including a denomination within a religion 
or culturally-based spiritual practice, a specific 
congregation, or a culturally-based spiritual community.
(4) Faith institution.--The term ``faith institution'' 
means an organized entity within a religious community, such as 
a house of worship, denominational body, or other official 
structure of that community.
(5) Religious divorce denial.--The term ``religious divorce 
denial'' means the refusal to cooperate in a religious divorce 
process or other religious marriage termination process, 
thereby preventing the victim from exiting the marriage despite 
any civil legal proceedings or civil legal judgment of divorce.
(6) Spiritual abuse.--The term ``spiritual abuse'' means 
the use or manipulation of religion, religious law, sacred 
texts, or spiritual beliefs as a means of exerting coercive 
control or to justify domestic violence, dating violence, 
sexual assault, or stalking.
(7) Victim with faith.--The term ``victim with faith'' 
means a victim of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual 
assault, or stalking who identifies with a faith or spiritual 
tradition, including identifying culturally with a faith or 
spiritual tradition, or holds religious or spiritual beliefs, 
whether or not they are officially affiliated with a faith 
community or institution or participate in religious 
observances.
(b) Application of Provisions of VAWA.--The definitions and grant 
conditions set forth in section 40002 of the Violence Against Women Act 
of 1994 (34 U.S.C. 12291) apply for purposes of this Act.
(c) In General.--The Attorney General, acting through the Director 
of the Office on Violence Against Women, may award grants to a 
consortium of eligible entities in order to provide for the 
establishment and operation of a national faith-based resource center 
on domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. 
The resource center shall provide education, training, and technical 
assistance to faith communities, faith institutions, victim service 
providers, community-based and culturally specific organizations, and 
Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies, and criminal and civil 
legal system stakeholders, and shall engage in other activities to--
(1) improve the response of victim service organizations, 
legal assistance providers, law enforcement, prosecutors, 
courts, child protective services, housing providers, and other 
stakeholders to victims with faith; and
(2) enhance the capacity of faith communities and faith 
institutions to prevent and respond to domestic violence, 
dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
(d) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, a consortium of eligible entities shall submit an application 
to the Attorney General at such time, in such manner, and containing 
such information as the Attorney General may require, including--
(1) information to demonstrate a collective history of 
providing training and technical assistance to one or more 
faith communities about trauma-informed, victim-centered 
prevention and responses to domestic violence, dating violence, 
sexual assault, and stalking;
(2) information to demonstrate a collective history of 
providing training and technical assistance about one or more 
faith communities and the needs of victims with faith to 
mainstream victim service providers;
(3) an attestation that the safety and autonomy of victims 
with faith and their children are the primary priority of all 
consortium members, and consortium members, subgrantees, or 
contractors will not prioritize family cohesion, marriage, 
family or community privacy, opposition to divorce, sexual 
purity, or other considerations over the safety, autonomy, 
needs, and preferences of victims;
(4) a plan to engage with experts from faith communities 
not directly represented by consortium members to provide 
training and technical assistance to and about those 
communities;
(5) evidence of longstanding relationships with faith-based 
organizations and stakeholders representing a variety of other 
faith communities; and
(6) a plan to establish and be advised by a victim advisory 
working group composed of victims with faith, including those 
who are underserved for reasons in addition to faith, which 
shall meet periodically throughout the grant period to inform 
the activities carried out under the grant. Members of the 
victim advisory working group shall be compensated for their 
participation.
(e) Use of Funds.--A consortium of eligible entities may use funds 
under this section to--
(1) provide training and technical assistance to faith 
communities, faith institutions, seminaries and clergy training 
programs, faith-based schools and institutes of higher 
education, faith youth groups, clergy and lay leaders, and 
other faith stakeholders to equip them to--
(A) understand and recognize domestic violence, 
dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, 
including the impact on children;
(B) draw upon faith values and texts to raise 
awareness about and address domestic violence, dating 
violence, sexual assault, and stalking;
(C) develop and implement prevention programs that 
are consistent with faith teachings and trauma-
informed, victim-centered practices;
(D) educate community members about religious 
arbitration agreements, terms of religious marital 
contracts, and other religious premarital or marital 
documents intended to prevent or discourage religious 
divorce denial;
(E) support victims with faith within their faith 
communities in a victim-centered and trauma-informed 
manner;
(F) refer victims with faith to local victim 
service providers, including population-specific and 
culturally specific programs, and other resources;
(G) hold offenders accountable, including 
implementing restorative practices in collaboration 
with entities receiving funding authorized under 
section 41801 of the Violence Against Women Act of 
1994;
(H) support offender behavior change;
(I) enact safety protocols to protect victims with 
faith;
(J) understand legal issues impacting victims with 
faith and uphold protection orders and child custody 
orders;
(K) engage in peer-to-peer learning and teaching, 
including with other faith communities;
(L) participate in coordinated community responses;
(M) prevent and respond to forced marriage; or
(N) undertake other activities to prevent, respond 
to, address, or support victims of faith;
(2) provide training and technical assistance to victim 
service providers and State and Tribal coalitions, legal 
service providers, housing providers, and other nonprofit 
organizations working with victims with faith, and to criminal 
and civil justice agencies, including law enforcement, 
prosecutors, courts, probation and parole staff, and child 
protective services to empower them to--
(A) incorporate faith communities into coordinated 
community responses;
(B) address unique needs and experiences of victims 
with faith, including spiritual abuse;
(C) understand and address barriers that victims 
with faith face when seeking safety and services, 
including unconscious bias;
(D) implement faith-specific considerations and 
best practices for working with and supporting victims 
with faith, including--
(i) providing religiously-appropriate food 
and dietary accommodations in shelters and 
transitional housing;
(ii) to the greatest extent practicable, 
understanding and taking into account faith-
based modesty norms, dress requirements, and 
related cultural norms, including during 
interactions involving law enforcement 
personnel; and
(iii) accommodating daily prayer, rituals, 
or other faith-based observances, such as 
prayer timing and pre- and post-meal blessings;
(E) implement best practices for interacting with 
and collaborating with faith communities;
(F) in the context of intimate partner homicides, 
honor faith traditions related to the care and handling 
of the deceased; or
(G) undertake other activities to prevent, respond 
to, address, or support victims of faith;
(3) provide appropriate training and technical assistance 
to other stakeholders, including--
(A) health professionals;
(B) researchers;
(C) disaster response coordinators and organizers; 
and
(D) faith-based, secular, and non-sectarian social 
service agencies;
(4) support the Office on Violence Against Women in 
convening faith communities, victim service providers, 
culturally specific programs, population-specific programs, 
victims, other stakeholders, and federal government personnel 
to identify areas of strength, ongoing challenges, and emerging 
issues to guide future training and technical assistance, and 
grantmaking; and
(5) support the establishment and operation of a victim 
advisory working group required under subsection (c)(6), 
including compensation for members.
(f) Establishment Phase.--During the first year of the initial 
grant cycle, the consortium shall use grant funds solely for the 
purpose of establishing the basic administrative and operational 
infrastructure necessary to operate the National Resource Center, 
including initial staffing, governance structures, and core systems to 
support its activities, as well as developing partnerships to 
understand and address the needs of communities that are underserved 
for reasons other than, or in addition to, faith.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $2,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2027 through 2031.
(h) Availability of Grant Funds.--Funds appropriated under this 
section shall remain available until expended.
(i) Rules of Construction.--
(1) Funds made available under this section shall not be 
used to proselytize, to promote any religion or religious 
viewpoint, to promote religiosity or increased religious 
observance, or for any other purposes related to faith or 
religion that are prohibited under federal, state, Tribal, or 
local law or violate the Constitutional separation of religion 
and state.
(2) Funds made available under this section shall 
supplement, not supplant, existing Office on Violence Against 
Women grants focused on specific faith communities.

SEC. 4. MODEL STATE CODE.

The Attorney General shall, in consultation with experts in 
religious divorce denial, advocates working with victims experiencing 
religious divorce denial, victims who have experienced religious 
divorce denial, faith leaders, faith communities, and population-
specific victim service providers, develop and publish model State 
legislative language to address religious divorce denial. This model 
legislative language shall take into account relevant religious laws 
and cultural practices, and be designed to be workable within affected 
faith communities, while remaining consistent with the requirements of 
the Constitution.

SEC. 5. REPORTING AND EVALUATION.

(a) Reports to the Attorney General.--On the date that is 1 year 
after first receiving a grant under this Act, and annually thereafter 
for the duration of the grant period, each consortium of eligible 
entities shall submit to the Attorney General, acting through the 
Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, a report that 
includes--
(1) a description of activities conducted under the grant 
and populations served; and
(2) an assessment of the effectiveness of such activities 
in achieving the purposes of this Act.
(b) Reports to Congress.--Not later than November 1 of each even-
numbered fiscal year, the Director of the Office on Violence Against 
Women shall compile and summarize the reports submitted under 
subsection (a) and submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the 
Senate a report on the activities and effectiveness of the program 
established under this Act.
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