Bill Text: CA SJR20 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Amended

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Violence Against Women Act.

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Democrat 60-15)

Status: (Passed) 2012-06-21 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Res. Chapter 58, Statutes of 2012. [SJR20 Detail]

Download: California-2011-SJR20-Amended.html

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BILL NUMBER: SJR 20	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 6, 2012

INTRODUCED BY   Senator Evans
   (Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Bonnie Lowenthal)
   (Coauthors: Senators Alquist, Corbett, De León, Hancock, Kehoe,
Liu, Negrete McLeod, Pavley, Wolk, and Yee)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Alejo, Ammiano, Atkins,  Block,
 Blumenfield, Bonilla, Brownley, Buchanan, Butler, Carter,
Chesbro, Gordon, Hall, Hayashi, Hill, Huber, Huffman, Ma, Miller,
Mitchell, Monning, Portantino, Torres, and Wieckowski)

                        MARCH 1, 2012

   Relative to violence against women.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SJR 20, as amended, Evans. Violence Against Women Act.
   This measure would call on the United States Congress to pass the
Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2011, Senate Bill No.
1925, authored by Senators Leahy and Crapo, and ensure the
sustainability of vital programs designed to keep women and families
safe from violence and abuse.
   Fiscal committee: no.



   WHEREAS, The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was developed with
the input of advocates from around the country and from all walks of
life, and addresses the real and most important needs of victims of
domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
VAWA is responsive, streamlined, and constitutionally and fiscally
sound, while providing strong accountability measures and appropriate
federal government oversight; and
   WHEREAS, VAWA represents the voices of women and their families,
and the voices of victims, survivors, and advocates; and
   WHEREAS, VAWA was first enacted in 1994, and has been the
centerpiece of the federal government's efforts to stamp out domestic
and sexual violence. Critical programs authorized under VAWA include
support for victim services, transitional housing, and legal
assistance; and
   WHEREAS, Domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and
stalking, once considered private matters to be dealt with behind
closed doors, have been brought out of the darkness; and
   WHEREAS, VAWA has been successful because it has had consistently
strong, bipartisan support for nearly two decades; and
   WHEREAS, The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act  of
2011  will provide a five-year  authorization
 reauthorization  for VAWA programs, and reduce authorized
funding levels by more than $144 million, or 19 percent, from the law'
s 2005 authorization; and
   WHEREAS, While annual rates of domestic violence have dropped more
than 50 percent, domestic violence remains a serious issue. Every
day in the United States, three women are killed by abusive husbands
and partners. In California in 2010, there were 166,361 domestic
violence calls, including more than 65,000 that involved a weapon;
and
   WHEREAS, The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act  of
2011  includes several updates and improvements to the law,
including the following:
   (a) An emphasis on the need to effectively respond to sexual
assault crime by adding new purpose areas and a  25-percent
set aside   25 percent set-aside  in the STOP
(Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors) Violence Against
Women Formula Grant Program (STOP Program) and the Grants to
Encourage Arrest Policies and Enforcement of Protection Orders
Program.
   (b) Improvements in tools to prevent domestic violence homicides
by training law enforcement, victim service providers, and court
personnel to identify and manage high-risk offenders and connecting
high-risk victims to crisis intervention services.
   (c) Improvements in responses to the high rate of violence against
women in tribal communities by strengthening concurrent tribal
criminal jurisdiction over perpetrators who assault Indian spouses
and dating partners in Indian countries.
   (d) Measures to strengthen housing protections for victims by
applying existing housing protections to nine additional federal
housing programs.
   (e) Measures to promote accountability to ensure that federal
funds are used for their intended purposes.
   (f) Consolidation of programs and reductions in authorization
levels to address fiscal concerns, and renewed focus on programs that
have been most successful.
   (g) Technical corrections to update definitions throughout the law
to provide uniformity and continuity; and
   WHEREAS, There is a need to maintain services for victims and
families at the local, state, and federal levels. Reauthorization
would allow existing programs to continue uninterrupted, and would
provide for the development of new initiatives to address key areas
of concern. These initiatives include the following:
   (a) Addressing the high rates of domestic violence, dating
violence, and sexual assault among women 16 to 24 years  of age
 , inclusive,  of age  by combating tolerant
youth attitudes toward violence.
   (b) Improving the response to sexual assault with best practices,
training, and communication tools for law enforcement, as well as
health care and legal professionals.
   (c) Preventing domestic violence homicides through enhanced
training for law enforcement, advocates, and others who interact with
those at risk. A growing number of experts agree that these
homicides are predictable, and therefore preventable, if we know the
warning signs; now, therefore, be it
   Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of
California, jointly, That the Legislature calls on the United States
Congress to pass the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of
2011, Senate Bill No. 1925, authored by Senators Leahy and Crapo, and
ensure the sustainability of vital programs designed to keep women
and families safe from violence and abuse; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this
resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States,
the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Majority Leader of
the Senate, each Senator and Representative from California in the
Congress of the United States, and to the author for appropriate
distribution.