Healing Partnerships for Survivors Act
- Bill Number
- H.R. 4510
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-17: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Last Updated
- 2025-12-05T22:56:21Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose of the Legislation
The Healing Partnerships for Survivors Act (H.R. 4510) aims to improve support for survivors of sexual assault by funding partnerships between health care providers, behavioral health programs, disability services, and community-based sexual assault programs. It focuses on delivering trauma-informed (meaning sensitive to the effects of trauma) and culturally relevant services throughout a survivor's life, including for adults who experienced childhood sexual abuse.
Key Provisions
- New Grant Program (Section 315 of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act):
- Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (through the Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services) to award grants to eligible entities to build and enhance partnerships for survivor support.
- Eligible entities include state sexual assault coalitions, territorial sexual assault coalitions, tribal coalitions, nonprofit community-based sexual assault programs (such as rape crisis centers or culturally specific organizations), Indian tribes, and tribal organizations.
- Grant applications must be submitted as specified by the Secretary.
- Funds can be used directly or through subgrants/contracts to:
- Develop trauma-informed partnerships, training, responses, services, and policies.
- Provide services like prevention, screening, links to care, therapy, support groups, holistic healing, substance-use support, temporary housing, case management, and referrals.
- Support survivors during health or substance-use treatment.
- Train staff and partners.
- Offer culturally specific health and wellness services.
- Other activities deemed appropriate by the Secretary.
- Grantees must submit reports on activities, impact evaluations, and additional information as required.
- Programs must protect survivor privacy, confidentiality, and safety under applicable laws.
- Technical Assistance and Training:
- Up to 10% of annual funds can go to private nonprofit organizations with expertise in sexual assault (including those focused on culturally specific communities) to provide training, technical assistance, program evaluations, best practices dissemination, and other supportive activities to grantees.
- Federal Administration:
- Up to $5 million per fiscal year from general appropriations can be used for evaluation, monitoring, and administrative costs.
- Definition:
- "Sexual assault" is defined as per the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (non-consensual sexual acts or attempts, including threats or coercion).
- Amendments to Existing Sections:
- Updates Section 304 to explicitly include "sexual assault" alongside family violence and dating violence in the Secretary's authority.
- Adds a new authorization of $30 million annually for fiscal years 2026 through 2030 specifically for these grants (under redesignated Section 303(d)).
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Adds a entirely new section (315) to the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (42 U.S.C. 10401 et seq.), creating a dedicated grant program for sexual assault survivor support that integrates public health systems—previously, the Act focused more broadly on family violence without this specific emphasis on sexual assault partnerships.
- Expands the scope of Section 304 to cover sexual assault explicitly, broadening the Secretary's administrative authority.
- Introduces targeted appropriations ($30 million/year) for this program, separate from general funding under the Act, which could increase dedicated resources for sexual assault services.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: The Department of Health and Human Services will gain new responsibilities for grant administration, monitoring, evaluations, and technical assistance, potentially increasing workload and requiring additional staffing or budgeting. This could enhance coordination between federal offices focused on violence prevention and public health.
- On Citizens: Sexual assault survivors, including those across all ages and backgrounds (e.g., adult survivors of childhood abuse), may gain better access to integrated, long-term support services, such as combined health care and advocacy, leading to improved well-being, reduced trauma effects, and easier navigation of services. Communities with culturally specific programs could see more tailored support.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill is focused on domestic U.S. programs, including territories and tribes.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Survivors of Sexual Assault: Primary beneficiaries, receiving enhanced, lifespan-spanning support.
- Service Providers: Health and wellness systems, behavioral health programs, disability programs, community-based sexual assault organizations (e.g., rape crisis centers), and culturally specific nonprofits, who will form partnerships and deliver services.
- Coalitions and Organizations: State, territorial, and tribal sexual assault coalitions, Indian tribes/tribal organizations, and nonprofits providing technical assistance, which can apply for and receive grants.
- Government Entities: The Secretary of Health and Human Services and related offices, responsible for oversight and funding distribution.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Reinforces existing privacy laws (e.g., confidentiality requirements under the Violence Against Women Act) by mandating their application in grant-funded programs, potentially strengthening survivor protections against unauthorized disclosure. It also ties into broader federal anti-violence frameworks without creating new enforcement mechanisms.
- Constitutional: No apparent challenges; the bill aligns with Congress's spending power under Article I to fund social welfare programs and support state/tribal initiatives.
- Political: Introduced bipartisanship (by Rep. Leger Fernandez and Rep. Fitzpatrick) signals cross-party support for integrating public health into violence prevention. It could influence future funding priorities for trauma care, emphasizing equity for underserved groups like culturally specific communities and tribal populations, but may face debates over budget allocation amid competing social programs.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Leger Fernandez, Teresa [D-NM-3]
Cosponsors (10)
Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1], Rep. Sykes, Emilia Strong [D-OH-13], Rep. Stansbury, Melanie A. [D-NM-1], Rep. Dingell, Debbie [D-MI-6], Rep. Jackson, Jonathan L. [D-IL-1], Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6], Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2], Rep. Budzinski, Nikki [D-IL-13], Rep. Min, Dave [D-CA-47], Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2]
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-17: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- 2025-07-17: Introduced in House
- 2025-07-17: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Healing Partnerships for Survivors Act — issued 2025-07-17 — PDF (10 pages)