Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Act
HB4127, titled the Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Act, would create two federal grant programs focused on technology-related abuse. The first program would authorize the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women to award grants to eligible consortia made up of higher education institutions or community technology partners working with domestic violence or sexual violence service providers. These consortia would develop local or regional efforts to combat technological abuse, such as stalking, harassment, surveillance, or control through phones, apps, social media, spyware, or other digital tools.
The second program would provide grants to nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher education to develop training, educational materials, and technical assistance for people and organizations that support victims of technological abuse. The bill also requires consultation with the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Education, as well as the FCC, and calls for stakeholder input from groups working on technological abuse and culturally specific victim service providers. The bill includes reporting requirements to Congress on the pilot program’s effectiveness and whether it should become permanent.
The bill would add a new federal grant-based framework under the Office on Violence Against Women to address technological abuse in domestic and sexual violence cases. It would not directly create new criminal penalties or alter state domestic violence statutes, but it would influence victim services, prevention efforts, and technical assistance nationwide by funding local partnerships, training, and survivor support tools. It authorizes up to $2 million per pilot grant, caps the pilot at 15 awards, and authorizes up to $20 million for the education and assistance grant program, with both programs funded through sums as necessary.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded votes or committee debate, the overall sentiment appears supportive and problem-solving in nature. The findings section frames technological abuse as widespread, escalating, and difficult for advocates to address without specialized expertise, suggesting the bill is intended as a practical response to an identified gap in victim services. The bipartisan introduction by Representatives Dingell and Nunn also suggests cross-party interest in the issue.
No formal contention is reflected in the provided voting history or committee transcripts, so there is no documented opposition to summarize. Potential areas of policy concern inherent in the bill include the use of federal grant funding, the scope of eligible partnerships, and whether a pilot program is the best mechanism versus a permanent program. The bill itself anticipates those questions by requiring evaluation reports and a recommendation on whether the pilot should be made permanent.