Public Policy

This page provides links and information regarding bills currently being tracked by MCEDSV to ensure appropriate protections and considerations are made for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

MCEDSV Brings the Voice of Survivors to Washington, D.C.

The MCEDSV Survivors' Giving Circle Project brought several of the Giving Circle members to Washington, D.C., to share their stories with members of Congress. The Michigan Congressional delegation was given the opportunity to listen to these amazing and powerful women as they shared their stories of courage and survival. Giving Circle members shared the individual challenges they met on the road to safety and justice. Barriers identified included housing, transportation, lack of access to attorneys, the fear of uprooting children, perpetrators owning firearms and other deadly barriers. Survivors were also able to share how crucial the services they received from domestic violence advocates and programs were to their survival.

Follow this link to find your Representative in the U.S. House

Follow this link to find your Senator in the U.S. Senate

Current pending National Legislation

Pursuit of Full Funding of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and Reauthorization of VAWA 4

Efforts to achieve this ever-important goal are being implemented at the national level. The pace of national advocates is nonstop, with the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV)and National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) leading the way to secure and stabilize our most important VAWA programs including: SASP (Sexual Assault Services Program), RPE (Rape Prevention Education), FVPSA (Family Violence Prevention and Services Act), STOP (Services*Training*Officers* Prosecutors), and discretionary programs. Protecting these critical victim service dollars for Michigan is a priority with the recent near collapse of our economy.

The National Task Force to End Sexual and Domestic Violence Against Women ("NTF") is focused on the development, passage and implementation of effective public policy to address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. The full membership of the NTF is comprised of a large and diverse group of national, tribal, state, territorial and local organizations, as well as individuals, committed to securing an end to violence against women. Included are civil rights organizations, labor unions, advocates for children and youth, anti‐poverty groups, immigrant and refugee rights organizations, women's rights leaders, education groups, and others focusing on a wide range of social, economic and racial justice issues. For over a decade, the NTF and its numerous subcommittees have been an important vehicle through which to promote our shared public policy goals.

Follow this link for the latest VAWA Reauthorization updates.

Protecting VOCA and Crime Victims Compensation at the National and State Level

Protecting funding for the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and the Michigan Crime Victims Services Commission is also at the forefront of the MCEDSV legislative agenda. MCEDSV and its national advocacy partners are front and center in the struggle to raise the cap for victim services and victim compensation. The budget forecast for VOCA funds in Michigan is outstanding especially in light of the many years of our struggle to protect these funds. Recent reductions in funding to Michigan due to the VOCA cap issue have been devastating to local victim service programs. Huge cuts to VOCA-funded programs were made and many programs were cut, drastically slashed, or un-funded altogether. This catastrophe was exacerbated by a desperate state budget climate that made any new appropriations a virtual political impossibility. Against these odds, the MCEDSV Policy Team persevered and secured a promising permanent fix to ongoing VOCA cap concerns.

For more information on VOCA, follow this link.

Current pending State Legislation

If you are a MCEDSV member organization or individual, please login and use the links below to review the passed and pending legislation and the MCEDSV position on each bill. Each bill is listed with its Bill Number, Title and Primary Bill Sponsor. In most cases, the current MCEDSV position will be listed below. This is the position that the Public Policy team is communicating to the bill sponsors. The position may change as the bill progresses through the legislative process.

Follow this link to legislation that is currently pending in Michigan

Follow this link to legislation passed during this session in Michigan

EXAMPLE

House Bill (HB) 1234 (SB for Senate Bill and HB for House Bill)

BILL TITLE (House Representative) A one sentence description of the bill follows giving very basic information.

Link to bill and current status [Clicking this will link you to the State Government page with bill information]

INTRODUCED in House (1/13/2011)

To Families, Children and Seniors [Committee the bill was originally referred to]

MCEDSV Position: SUPPORT

Follow this link to find your Representative in the Michigan House

Follow this link to find your Senator in the Michigan Senate