# What This Bill Does

This bill expands federal protections for people experiencing domestic violence and stalking by broadening who counts as an "intimate partner" under federal law and creating new restrictions on firearm ownership for people convicted of stalking. Right now, federal domestic violence laws primarily cover married couples, people living together, and people with children together. This bill adds dating partners to that list—meaning someone you're currently dating or recently dated would have the same legal protections as a spouse if they experience abuse.

The bill also protects the children of dating partners. Currently, if someone abuses a child whose parent is in a dating relationship with them, it might not be treated as seriously under federal law. This change means that harming a child whose parent you're dating would be treated the same way as harming a child in a married household. Additionally, the bill creates a new federal crime category for "misdemeanor stalking"—meaning people convicted of stalking offenses (like repeated harassment, surveillance, or intimidation that makes someone fear for their safety) would be prohibited from owning or possessing firearms, similar to existing restrictions for domestic violence convictions.

The practical effect is that dating partners and their children gain stronger legal protections and access to federal resources like restraining orders and law enforcement intervention. For people convicted of stalking, the bill adds consequences by preventing them from legally owning guns. The bill includes safeguards requiring that convictions be valid (meaning the person had a lawyer or knowingly gave up that right) and that the conviction wasn't later overturned or pardoned. This aims to close gaps where abusers in dating relationships or stalkers might have previously fallen outside federal protections.