Part I - Violence Against Women Act Court Training and Improvements

42 USC 14043 - Purpose

The purpose of this part is to enable the Attorney General, though^[1] the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, to award grants to improve court responses to adult and youth domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking to be used for

(1) improved internal civil and criminal court functions, responses, practices, and procedures;

(2) education for court-based and court-related personnel on issues relating to victims needs, including safety, security, privacy, confidentiality, and economic independence, as well as information about perpetrator behavior and best practices for holding perpetrators accountable;

(3) collaboration and training with Federal, State, tribal, territorial, and local public agencies and officials and nonprofit">nonprofit, nongovernmental organizations to improve implementation and enforcement of relevant Federal, State, tribal, territorial, and local law;

(4) enabling courts or court-based or court-related programs to develop new or enhance current

(A) court infrastructure (such as specialized courts, dockets, intake centers, or interpreter services);

(B) community-based initiatives within the court system (such as court watch programs, victim assistants, or community-based supplementary services);

(D) safe and confidential information-storage and -sharing databases within and between court systems;

(E) education and outreach programs to improve community access, including enhanced access for underserved populations; and

(F) other projects likely to improve court responses to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; and

(5) providing technical assistance to Federal, State, tribal, territorial, or local courts wishing to improve their practices and procedures or to develop new programs.

[1] So in original. Probably should be “through”.

42 USC 14043a - Grant requirements

Grants awarded under this part shall be subject to the following conditions:

(1) Eligible grantees
Eligible grantees may include

(A) Federal, State, tribal, territorial, or local courts or court-based programs; and

(B) national, State, tribal, territorial, or local private, nonprofit">nonprofit organizations with demonstrated expertise in developing and providing judicial education about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

(2) Conditions of eligibility
To be eligible for a grant under this section, applicants shall certify in writing that

(A) any courts or court-based personnel working directly with or making decisions about adult or youth parties experiencing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking have completed or will complete education about domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking;

(B) any education program developed under section 14043 of this title has been or will be developed with significant input from and in collaboration with a national, tribal, State, territorial, or local victim services provider or coalition; and

(C) the grantees internal organizational policies, procedures, or rules do not require mediation or counseling between offenders and victims physically together in cases where domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking is an issue.

42 USC 14043a1 - National education curricula

(a) In general
The Attorney General, through the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women, shall fund efforts to develop a national education curriculum for use by State and national judicial educators to ensure that all courts and court personnel have access to information about relevant Federal, State, territorial, or local law, promising practices, procedures, and policies regarding court responses to adult and youth domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

(b) Eligible entities
Any curricula developed under this section

(1) shall be developed by an entity or entities having demonstrated expertise in developing judicial education curricula on issues relating to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; or

(2) if the primary grantee does not have demonstrated expertise with such issues, shall be developed by the primary grantee in partnership with an organization having such expertise.

42 USC 14043a2 - Tribal curricula

(a) In general
The Attorney General, through the Office on Violence Against Women, shall fund efforts to develop education curricula for tribal court judges to ensure that all tribal courts have relevant information about promising practices, procedures, policies, and law regarding tribal court responses to adult and youth domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

(b) Eligible entities
Any curricula developed under this section

(1) shall be developed by a tribal organization having demonstrated expertise in developing judicial education curricula on issues relating to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; or

(2) if the primary grantee does not have such expertise, the curricula shall be developed by the primary grantee through partnership with organizations having such expertise.

42 USC 14043a3 - Authorization of appropriations

(a) In general
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2007 to 2011.

(b) Availability
Funds appropriated under this section shall remain available until expended and may only be used for the specific programs and activities described in this part.

(1) In general
Not less than 10 percent of the total amount available under this section for each fiscal year shall be available for grants under the program authorized by section 3796gg–10 of this title.

(2) Applicability of part 1
The requirements of this section shall not apply to funds allocated for the program described in paragraph (1).

[1] So in original. Probably should be “section”.