Rep. Sykes Recognizes October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Leads Legislation to Protect Survivors of Domestic Violence
AKRON, OH – U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) recognizes October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Since coming to Congress, Rep. Sykes has led nine pieces of legislation which establish protections for survivors of domestic violence. That legislation includes: the Stop Electronic Stalking Act, Fair Social Security for Domestic Violence Survivors Act, Better Care for Domestic Violence Survivors Act, Break Free from Domestic Violence Act, Skills Against Violence Act, an amendment to the Privacy Enhancing Technology Research Act, Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2024, Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act, and the National Domestic Violence Awareness Month Resolution of 2023.
Rep. Sykes also secured $480,000 in grant funding from the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women for the University of Akron to conduct evaluations of promising practices for combatting domestic/dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, and to research issues emerging in the field.
“Too many Americans from all backgrounds and ages face domestic violence in communities across the country,” said Rep. Sykes. “As the Congresswoman for Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, it is my duty to ensure our neighbors, friends, and family members can live safely in our neighborhoods. That’s why I’ve led legislation to empower and protect survivors of domestic violence, hold abusers accountable, and ultimately, save lives. Our communities are stronger when everyone is safe from violence.”
Nationally, one in three women and one in four men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. In 2022, Ohio suffered 112 domestic violence fatalities from July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, 17 of which were children. Additionally, 1,359 incidents of domestic violence were reported in Summit County, and 1,527 in Stark County.
A longtime advocate for protecting survivors of domestic violence, Rep. Sykes’ work on domestic violence issues has earned bipartisan praise and resulted in her priority legislation, Ohio H.B. 1, to be signed into law when she was serving in the Ohio House of Representatives. Ohio H.B. 1 gives victims of dating violence the ability to obtain civil protective orders against their attacker.
More information about the legislation Rep. Sykes has led in the U.S. House of Representatives is below.
The Stop Electronic Stalking Act (H.R. 6035) amends the federal criminal code’s definition of stalking to codify that the unauthorized tracking of an individual by a GPS device qualifies as stalking to prevent victimization and crack down on bad actors who use tracking devices for nefarious purposes. While Bluetooth tagging devices are intended to track property, not people, crimes have been reported across the country involving the use of Bluetooth tagging devices to stalk victims, specifically younger women and women being stalked by former spouses or relationship partners. Currently, federal stalking law does not explicitly ban unwanted location tracking using an electronic device.
Survivors of domestic abuse shouldn’t be penalized financially when they leave an abusive marriage. The Fair Social Security for Domestic Violence Survivors Act (H.R. 6169) would expand access to Social Security spousal benefits for individuals who divorce due to domestic abuse. Currently, couples must be married for at least 10 years to be eligible for spousal Social Security benefits, inadvertently incentivizing individuals to remain in unsafe relationships. The Fair Social Security for Domestic Violence Survivors Act lowers this minimum marital threshold to five years.
Because victims of domestic violence visit healthcare providers for treatment of their injuries as well as routine medical care, healthcare providers are in a unique position to combat abuse. The Better Care for Domestic Violence Survivors Act (H.R. 6168) would provide $50 million ($10 million per year for five years) for a pilot program to train healthcare providers in evidence-based, trauma-informed techniques to identify and treat individuals who have experienced sexual assault, domestic violence, or dating violence. This vital training would give healthcare providers the tools and training they need to effectively intervene in situations of abuse, ultimately saving survivors’ lives.
The Break Free From Domestic Violence Act (H.R. 6167) would allow individuals who are experiencing dating violence, domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault to break their lease with a public housing entity or a private landlord without adverse costs, such as being forced to pay the remaining months’ rent or facing retaliatory threats from the landlord. This legislation would help ensure the physical safety of individuals experiencing domestic violence, especially those without the financial resources to pay the fees associated with breaking a lease early.
The Skills Against Violence Act (H.R. 9599) would create a federal grant program for eligible non-profits and government entities to support gender-based violence survivor workforce development. This includes skills training and advising to ensure survivors can secure employment and financial independence.
Rep. Sykes’s amendment to the Privacy Enhancing Technology Research Act (H.R. 4755) will support research to protect Americans from being tracked electronically without their consent.
The Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2024 (H.R. 8061) redirects unobligated funds collected through the False Claims Act to the Crime Victims Fund through Fiscal Year 2029, stabilizing the Crime Victims Fund during recent declines. The ultimate goal of this legislation would be to give victim assistance programs the support necessary to keep their operations running. Rep. Sykes is a cosponsor of this bill.
The Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act (H.R. 6405) aims to protect more victims of domestic violence by preventing their abusers from possessing or receiving firearms and to amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to establish a grant program relating to the removal of firearms from adjudicated domestic violence offenders, and for other purposes. Rep. Sykes is a cosponsor of this bill.
The National Domestic Violence Awareness Month Resolution of 2023 (H.Res. 831) supports the goals and ideals of October as “National Domestic Violence Awareness Month” and expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should continue to raise awareness of domestic violence and its devastating effects on individuals, families, and communities, and support programs designed to end domestic violence in the United States. Rep. Sykes is a cosponsor of this resolution.