On December 3, the Senate passed, by unanimous consent, S. 3817, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA). The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee approved the measure by voice vote on December 1.
Sponsored by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), the measure would reauthorize several laws pertaining to child and family abuse prevention and treatment – the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (P.L. 98-457), the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (P.L. 93-247), the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act (P.L. 95-266), and the Abandoned Infants Assistance Act (P.L. 100-505).
Among the provisions relating to the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), the bill would authorize $184.5 million for FY2011-2015 for programs under FVPSA. That amount would include $175 million for state formula grants (which are then subgranted to local domestic violence shelters and programs), funding for tribal domestic violence programs, technical assistance and resource centers, state domestic violence coalitions, and administration, evaluation, and monitoring of the grants. That amount also includes $3.5 million for the National Domestic Violence Hotline and $6 million for the Domestic Violence Enhancement and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA) program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The previous authorization for FVPSA expired in 2008.
The measure also would authorize grants to national resource centers on domestic violence, which would include a national Indian resource center that would address domestic violence and safety for Indian women. Other resource centers would be established to address specific issues, such as child custody, criminal and civil justice systems, mental health, and racial and ethnic minority groups.
The bill would provide $120 million for FY2010 and such sums as may be necessary through FY2015 for CAPTA and revise its requirements for the advisory board, national clearinghouse on information regarding child abuse, research and assistance activities, and grants to states, tribes, and public or private organizations or agencies.
The bill also would authorize $40 million for FY2011 and such sums as may be necessary through FY2015 for the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment and Adoption Reform Act, and $45 million in FY2011 and such sums as may be necessary through FY2015 for the Abandoned Infants Assistance Act.
