This bill authorizes the Attorney General, through the Office on Violence Against Women, to award grants for establishing and operating a national faith-based resource center. This center will address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by providing education, training, and technical assistance to faith communities, faith institutions, victim service providers, and various government agencies. The overarching goal is to improve the response to victims who identify with a faith or spiritual tradition and to enhance the capacity of faith communities to prevent and respond to these forms of violence. The grants will be awarded to a consortium of eligible entities , which must include at least two faith-based organizations and one culturally specific organization, with a demonstrated history of victim-centered training. A key requirement for grantees is an attestation that the safety and autonomy of victims are the primary priority, explicitly prohibiting considerations like family cohesion or opposition to divorce from overriding victim needs. The center's activities will include training on recognizing violence, using faith values for prevention, educating on religious divorce denial, and implementing best practices for supporting victims with faith, including culturally and religiously appropriate accommodations. The bill authorizes $2,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, with a clear rule that funds cannot be used for proselytizing or promoting any specific religion.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Supporting Survivors from Faith-based Communities Act
USA119th CongressHR-8813| House
| Updated: 5/14/2026
This bill authorizes the Attorney General, through the Office on Violence Against Women, to award grants for establishing and operating a national faith-based resource center. This center will address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by providing education, training, and technical assistance to faith communities, faith institutions, victim service providers, and various government agencies. The overarching goal is to improve the response to victims who identify with a faith or spiritual tradition and to enhance the capacity of faith communities to prevent and respond to these forms of violence. The grants will be awarded to a consortium of eligible entities , which must include at least two faith-based organizations and one culturally specific organization, with a demonstrated history of victim-centered training. A key requirement for grantees is an attestation that the safety and autonomy of victims are the primary priority, explicitly prohibiting considerations like family cohesion or opposition to divorce from overriding victim needs. The center's activities will include training on recognizing violence, using faith values for prevention, educating on religious divorce denial, and implementing best practices for supporting victims with faith, including culturally and religiously appropriate accommodations. The bill authorizes $2,000,000 annually for fiscal years 2027 through 2031, with a clear rule that funds cannot be used for proselytizing or promoting any specific religion.