# Plain Language Summary: Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 2023

This bill updates and strengthens the federal government's approach to helping victims of domestic violence, dating violence, and family violence. It modernizes the definitions and goals of existing programs that provide shelter, counseling, and other support services to people experiencing abuse and their children. The bill recognizes new forms of abuse that weren't adequately addressed before, including economic abuse (like controlling someone's access to money or credit) and technological abuse (like using GPS tracking, spyware, or social media to monitor or harass someone).

The bill expands who is protected under these programs. It clarifies that dating violence is included alongside domestic and family violence, and it specifically recognizes that abuse can happen in dating relationships that don't involve living together or sexual contact. It also emphasizes serving underserved populations—people who face extra barriers to getting help because of their race, ethnicity, immigration status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, language barriers, or where they live. The bill strengthens support for Native American tribes to respond to violence in their communities and ensures there's a national hotline specifically for Native Americans experiencing abuse.

The bill also updates the overall mission of these programs to focus more on prevention—stopping violence before it starts—through community education and evidence-based programs, not just responding after abuse happens. It calls for better coordination between different agencies and organizations, more training and technical assistance for service providers, and services delivered through digital platforms like phone apps and video counseling for people who can't access in-person help. The bill authorizes federal funding for these expanded services and programs, though it doesn't specify exact dollar amounts.

Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 2023

McBath, Lucy

Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 2023 This bill modifies, expands, and reauthorizes through FY2028 the Family Violence and Prevention Services program, which funds emergency shelters and supports related assistance for victims of domestic violence. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants and enter cooperative agreements with state and tribal domestic violence coalitions, and community-based organizations, to support prevention services. Depending on the type of organization, grant recipients must use funding to (1) provide technical assistance; (2) promote evidence-informed prevention strategies; (3) implement coordinated, community responses to reduce risk factors for family violence; and (4) develop prevention partnership strategies. Further, HHS must award specified grants to organizations that provide population-specific services in underserved communities and to community-based organizations that provide culturally specific domestic violence services to racial and ethnic minority groups. The bill also establishes a grants program for tribal domestic violence coalitions to support the provision of local, tribal, family domestic or dating violence services and requires HHS to award a grant for the administration of a hotline dedicated to serving Indians affected by domestic violence. In addition, the bill modifies certain program-wide definitions; changes the requirements for specified grant applications, eligibility criteria, and use of funds; and makes other technical revisions.