# What This Bill Does

This bill makes two important changes to how federal law protects people from domestic violence and stalking. First, it expands the definition of "intimate partner" to include people who are dating or have dated each other, not just people who are married or living together. This means that if someone is abused by a current or former dating partner, they get the same legal protections that married couples have. Second, the bill creates a new rule that prevents people convicted of stalking misdemeanors from buying or possessing guns.

Right now, federal law only bars certain people from owning firearms—like those convicted of domestic violence felonies or restraining order violations. But stalking convictions, even serious ones, don't automatically prevent gun ownership under federal law. This bill closes that gap by saying that if you're convicted of a misdemeanor stalking crime (the less serious category of stalking charges), you lose your right to buy or own guns. The law defines stalking as a pattern of harassment, intimidation, or surveillance that makes someone reasonably afraid for their safety or causes them emotional distress.

**Who this affects:** Domestic violence and stalking survivors would benefit most from this bill. People in dating relationships who experience abuse would have clearer legal protections, and stalking victims would have an additional layer of protection knowing that convicted stalkers can't legally obtain firearms. On the other side, people convicted of stalking misdemeanors would be prohibited from gun ownership, similar to existing restrictions on domestic violence offenders.

The bill also includes protections for pets and emotional support animals, recognizing that abusers sometimes threaten or harm animals to control their victims. Overall, the law aims to give survivors more comprehensive protection by treating dating relationships like other intimate relationships and keeping guns away from people convicted of stalking.

Strengthening Protections for Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act of 2023

Dingell, Debbie

Strengthening Protections for Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act of 2023 This bill extends federal firearms-related restrictions to individuals who are convicted of a misdemeanor crime of stalking. The term&nbsp;misdemeanor crime of stalking&nbsp;means an offense that is a misdemeanor under federal, state, tribal, or local law and has a course of harassment, intimidation, or surveillance that (1) causes emotional distress, or (2) places a person in reasonable fear of harm to themselves, an immediate family member, an individual who shares or has shared a residence, an intimate partner, or a pet. The term intimate partner includes an individual who is or was in a dating relationship with the person or any other individual similarly situated to a spouse. Additionally, the bill extends federal firearms-related restrictions to individuals who are subject to a court order restraining them from harassing, stalking, or threatening an individual who is in a current or former dating relationship with them or who is similarly situated to a spouse. Currently, federal firearms-related restrictions generally only apply to individuals who are subject to a court order restraining them from harassing, stalking, or threatening a co-parent of a child, a current or former spouse, or a current or former cohabitant.