Violence Against Women Act Overview
Funding, History, Legislation, and Reauthorization
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was originally enacted in 1994. It addressed congressional concerns about violent crime, and violence against women in particular, in several ways. It allowed for enhanced sentencing of repeat Federal sex offenders; mandated restitution to victims of specified Federal sex offenses; and authorized grants to State, local, and tribal law enforcement entities to investigate and prosecute violent crimes against women, among other things. VAWA has been reauthorized three times since its original enactment. Most recently, Congress passed and President Obama signed the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, which reauthorized most VAWA programs through…
