[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6097 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6097

 To amend the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act to authorize 
   grants to ensure access for victims of family violence, domestic 
violence, and dating violence to substance use disorder treatment that 
 allows parents (or legal guardians) and their children, stepchildren, 
    or other dependents to remain together throughout the course of 
                   treatment, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 26, 2023

  Mr. Mrvan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                Committee on Education and the Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act to authorize 
   grants to ensure access for victims of family violence, domestic 
violence, and dating violence to substance use disorder treatment that 
 allows parents (or legal guardians) and their children, stepchildren, 
    or other dependents to remain together throughout the course of 
                   treatment, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. GRANTS FOR SAFE RECOVERY TOGETHER.

    (a) In General.--The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act 
(42 U.S.C. 10401 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``SEC. 315. GRANTS FOR SAFE RECOVERY TOGETHER.

    ``(a) Safe Recovery Together.--
            ``(1) In general.--From the sums appropriated under section 
        303(e) and available to carry out this subsection for any 
        fiscal year, the Secretary may award grants to eligible 
        entities to develop, implement, and improve programs for 
        ensuring access for victims of family violence, domestic 
        violence, and dating violence to substance use disorder 
        treatment that allows parents (or legal guardians) and their 
        children, stepchildren, or other dependents to remain together 
        throughout the course of treatment.
            ``(2) Eligible entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
        under this subsection, an entity shall be--
                    ``(A) a State;
                    ``(B) a State Domestic Violence Coalition;
                    ``(C) a nonprofit entity, including a Tribal, 
                culturally specific organization, or community-based 
                organization, with a history of effective work in the 
                fields of family violence, domestic violence, or dating 
                violence and substance use disorder treatment, 
                prevention, and recovery support; or
                    ``(D) a local or State department (or other 
                division) of health (including mental health, 
                behavioral health, or substance abuse agencies), a 
                State Domestic Violence Coalition or victim service 
                provider, or any other nonprofit, nongovernmental 
                organization with a history of effective work in the 
                fields of family violence, domestic violence, or dating 
                violence and substance use disorder treatment, 
                prevention, and recovery support.
            ``(3) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this subsection, an eligible entity shall submit an application 
        to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing 
        such information as the Secretary determines appropriate.
            ``(4) Use of funds.--
                    ``(A) In general.--An eligible entity receiving a 
                grant under this subsection shall, directly or through 
                subgrants or contracts, develop and implement a program 
                for ensuring access for victims of family violence, 
                domestic violence, and dating violence to substance use 
                disorder treatment that allows parents (or legal 
                guardians) and their children, stepchildren, or other 
                dependents to remain together throughout the course of 
                treatment by carrying out one or more of the authorized 
                activities described in subparagraph (B).
                    ``(B) Authorized activities described.--The 
                authorized activities described in this subparagraph 
                include the following:
                            ``(i) The provision of residential and 
                        nonresidential substance use disorder treatment 
                        services.
                            ``(ii) Notwithstanding section 308(d)(1), 
                        the provision or expansion of transitional 
                        housing, temporary rental assistance, and other 
                        supportive housing stability services, 
                        including direct cash assistance.
                            ``(iii) The provision of services that--
                                    ``(I) support victims of family 
                                violence, domestic violence, and dating 
                                violence while receiving substance use 
                                disorder treatment services, including 
                                recovery and harm reduction; and
                                    ``(II) enable parents (or legal 
                                guardians) and their children, 
                                stepchildren, or other dependents to 
                                remain together throughout the course 
                                of treatment, including--
                                            ``(aa) supportive services, 
                                        including advocacy, case 
                                        management, and information and 
                                        referral services;
                                            ``(bb) health care 
                                        services, including prenatal 
                                        wellness services, and support 
                                        services for pregnant and 
                                        postpartum victims; and
                                            ``(cc) services for 
                                        children and youth that are 
                                        exposed to family violence, 
                                        domestic violence, and dating 
                                        violence, including age-
                                        appropriate confidential 
                                        counseling and supportive 
                                        services.
                            ``(iv) The cultivation of partnerships 
                        between State, local, and Tribal policymakers 
                        in order to develop and implement service and 
                        policy changes for victims of family violence, 
                        domestic violence, and dating violence with 
                        substance use disorders that ensure the safety 
                        of victims, and reduce barriers for victims 
                        disproportionately affected by family violence.
                            ``(v) The provision of training for staff 
                        associated with delivering services to ensure 
                        that each program developed using a grant 
                        received under this subsection includes 
                        procedures that protect the safety, privacy, 
                        and confidentiality of parents (or legal 
                        guardians) and their children, stepchildren, or 
                        other dependents in a manner consistent with 
                        subparagraph (F).
                            ``(vi) Such other activities as the 
                        Secretary determines appropriate.
                    ``(C) Advance notice of information disclosure.--If 
                the release of information is compelled by statutory or 
                court mandate, an eligible entity receiving a grant 
                under this section shall--
                            ``(i) provide advance notice to victims 
                        affected by the release of such information 
                        about the circumstances compelling the release 
                        of such information, such as mandatory 
                        reporting laws; and
                            ``(ii) give victims the option to receive 
                        information and referrals without affirmatively 
                        disclosing abuse.
                    ``(D) Administration and technical assistance.--
                Each eligible entity that receives a grant under this 
                subsection may use--
                            ``(i) up to 6 percent of the grant amount 
                        to procure technical assistance, including 
                        technical assistance provided by the National 
                        Capacity Building Center to Prevent Substance 
                        Use Coercion established under subsection (b); 
                        and
                            ``(ii) up to 5 percent of the grant amount 
                        for evaluation, monitoring, staff training, and 
                        other administrative costs under this 
                        subsection.
                    ``(E) Reports and evaluations.--Each eligible 
                entity receiving a grant under this subsection shall 
                submit to the Secretary at such time as shall be 
                reasonably required by the Secretary, a report that--
                            ``(i) describes the activities that have 
                        been carried out with such grant funds;
                            ``(ii) includes an evaluation of the 
                        effectiveness of such activities; and
                            ``(iii) provides such additional 
                        information as the Secretary determines 
                        appropriate.
                    ``(F) Privacy.--Each eligible entity receiving a 
                grant under this subsection shall ensure that each 
                program developed or implemented with such grant 
                protects victim privacy, confidentiality, and safety in 
                compliance with applicable confidentiality, privacy, 
                and nondisclosure requirements of this Act.
    ``(b) National Capacity Building Center to Prevent Substance Use 
Coercion.--
            ``(1) In general.--From the sums appropriated under section 
        303(e) and available to carry out this subsection for any 
        fiscal year, the Secretary may award a grant to an eligible 
        entity for the establishment and maintenance of a National 
        Capacity Building Center to Prevent Substance Use Coercion that 
        will undertake the activities described in paragraph (3).
            ``(2) Eligible entities.--To be eligible to receive a grant 
        under this subsection, an eligible entity--
                    ``(A) shall be a nonprofit private organization 
                that focuses primarily on domestic violence;
                    ``(B) shall provide documentation to the Secretary 
                demonstrating experience working directly on issues of 
                domestic violence;
                    ``(C) shall provide documentation to the Secretary 
                demonstrating experience working directly on the 
                intersection of domestic violence, substance use, and 
                substance use coercion;
                    ``(D) shall--
                            ``(i) include on the entity's advisory 
                        board representatives who are from domestic 
                        violence service programs and who are 
                        geographically and culturally diverse; or
                            ``(ii) procure equivalent involvement of, 
                        and feedback from, individuals who have such 
                        qualifications, if the entity does not have an 
                        advisory board; and
                    ``(E) shall demonstrate the strong support of 
                domestic violence service programs from across the 
                Nation for the entity's demonstrated history in 
                providing training and technical assistance on the 
                intersection of domestic violence, substance misuse, 
                and substance use coercion.
            ``(3) Required uses of funds.--The eligible entity awarded 
        a grant under this subsection, through the National Capacity 
        Building Center to Prevent Substance Use Coercion, shall use 
        the grant--
                    ``(A) to provide training and technical assistance 
                to entities receiving grants under subsection (a) in 
                the implementation of programs funded under such 
                subsection;
                    ``(B) to conduct evaluations of programs funded 
                under subsection (a);
                    ``(C) to identify and disseminate best practices 
                that emerge from programs funded under subsection (a); 
                and
                    ``(D) to carry out such other activities as the 
                Secretary determines appropriate.
    ``(c) Federal Administration.--From the sums appropriated under 
section 303(e) for any fiscal year, not more than $4,000,000 for such 
fiscal year may be used by the Secretary for evaluation, monitoring, 
and other administrative expenses.
    ``(d) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Substance use coercion.--The term `substance use 
        coercion' means any act, threatened act, or pattern of acts of 
        physical or sexual violence, or any other form of abuse 
        involving substance misuse through the use of force, threat, or 
        coercion, that results in, or exacerbates, a substance use 
        disorder, a substance-induced mental disorder, or any other 
        form of substance dependance, directed against--
                    ``(A) a dating partner or other person similarly 
                situated to a dating partner under the laws of the 
                jurisdiction where such an act occurs;
                    ``(B) a person who is cohabitating with or has 
                cohabitated with the person committing such an act;
                    ``(C) a current or former spouse or other person 
                similarly situated to a current or former spouse under 
                the laws of the jurisdiction where such an act occurs;
                    ``(D) a person who shares a child, stepchild, or 
                other dependent in common with the person committing 
                such an act;
                    ``(E) a person who is related by marriage, blood, 
                or is otherwise legally related; or
                    ``(F) any other person who is protected from any 
                such act under the domestic or family violence laws, 
                policies, or regulations of the jurisdiction where the 
                act occurs.
            ``(2) Victim.--The term `victim' means an individual 
        against whom an act of domestic violence, dating violence, or 
        family violence is carried out.''.
    (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 303 of the Family 
Violence Prevention and Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10403) is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Safe Recovery Together Grants.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out section 315 $30,000,000 for each of fiscal 
years 2023 through 2027.''.
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