Legislative Background on Violence Against Women
Recent Action by Congress on Reauthorizing VAWA
Congress passed the original Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994. The law provided $1.6 billion for investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed for civil redress in unprosecuted cases. VAWA was reauthorized in 2000 and 2005. Changes in the law related to battered immigrants, older victims, victims with disabilities, and violence experienced by women in tribal communities. Senate Passage of VAWA Reauthorization. On November 30, 2011, Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (VT-D) introduced S. 1925, the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act. The bill reauthorizes such VAWA programs…
