Biden Announces New Initiatives on 30th Anniversary of Violence Against Women Act

U.S. President Joe Biden plans to announce grants and initiatives to combat domestic abuse and support gender-based violence survivors. The initiatives include a DOJ resource center, technical assistance for firearm removal from abusers, and a new office for survivors' housing and economic needs.

U.S. President Joe Biden is set to unveil a series of grants and initiatives aimed at combating domestic abuse and supporting survivors of gender-based violence, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act.

The Biden-Harris administration's plans include establishing a resource center under the Department of Justice to aid law enforcement, attorneys, and victims service organizations in responding to cyber crimes like revenge porn and online stalking, as reported by Jennifer Klein, head of the White House Gender Policy Council. Additionally, the Department of Justice will provide expanded technical support to local law enforcement for the removal of firearms from domestic abusers and announce over $690 million in grant funding for fiscal year 2024 to help communities address gender-based violence.

Biden will also establish an office within the Department of Housing and Urban Development to address the housing and economic needs of domestic violence survivors. The president is scheduled to deliver remarks to survivors and advocates in the White House, marking the anniversary of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, a legislation he played a key role in crafting. Although the Act expired in 2019 under President Donald Trump, Biden renewed it in 2022 through a signed spending bill.

(With inputs from agencies.)