Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is releasing the following statement on the 35th anniversary of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act:
“This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA). FVPSA serves as the primary federal funding source for emergency shelter, housing and supportive services for victims of domestic violence and their children. FVPSA also funds the Domestic Violence Hotline, which provides free, confidential support and resources for victims of abuse; the hotline recently answered its 5 millionth contact earlier this year.
While FVPSA provides much-needed services for over 1.3 million victims and their children, the program is well overdue for reauthorization. I am proud to have worked with Senator Murkowski and stakeholders from across the country to introduce the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 2019, which updates and enhances FVPSA so that it better addresses the needs of underserved populations, such as racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and people living in rural communities. Our bill also authorizes significant funding increases for Tribes and Tribal organizations and the U.S. territories.
I commend the advocates and stakeholders who work tirelessly in service of the millions of survivors of domestic violence in our Nation. We cannot wait any longer to reauthorize FVPSA, and I urge my colleagues in Congress to work with me in passing this important legislation.”
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