Healing Partnerships for Survivors Act
- Bill Number
- S. 2348
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Health
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-07-17: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- Last Updated
- 2026-03-17T16:00:50Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Healing Partnerships for Survivors Act (S. 2348) aims to improve support for survivors of sexual assault by funding partnerships between health and wellness providers (including behavioral health and disability programs) and community-based sexual assault programs. It focuses on delivering trauma-informed, culturally sensitive services throughout a survivor's life, including for adults who experienced childhood sexual abuse.
Key Provisions
- Grant Authorization: The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Office on Violence Against Women (wait, actually Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services), can award grants to eligible entities to build and enhance support systems. Funding comes from new appropriations of $30 million annually from fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
- Eligible Entities:
- State, territorial, or tribal sexual assault coalitions.
- Nonprofit community-based sexual assault programs, such as rape crisis centers or culturally specific organizations with a track record of working with survivors.
- Indian tribes or tribal organizations.
- Use of Grant Funds:
- Develop partnerships to provide comprehensive, trauma-informed services, including prevention, screening, therapy, support groups, substance-use support, housing assistance, and advocacy.
- Support survivors during health or substance-use treatment.
- Offer training for staff on these services.
- Provide culturally relevant health and wellness options.
- Other activities deemed appropriate by HHS.
- Technical Assistance: Up to 10% of funds can go to private nonprofit organizations with expertise in sexual assault (especially culturally specific services) for training, evaluations, best practices dissemination, and related support for grantees.
- Reporting and Privacy: Grantees must submit reports on activities and effectiveness, and ensure programs protect survivors' privacy, confidentiality, and safety under existing laws.
- Federal Administration: Up to $5 million per year for HHS evaluation, monitoring, and administrative costs.
- Definition: "Sexual assault" uses the definition from the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which covers unwanted sexual acts through force, coercion, or lack of consent.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Adds a new Section 315 to the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), creating a dedicated grant program for sexual assault survivor support, which was not previously specified in FVPSA.
- Expands the HHS Secretary's authority under Section 304 of FVPSA to include "sexual assault" alongside family violence and dating violence, broadening the scope of federal oversight and funding.
- Introduces specific appropriations for this program ($30 million/year for 2026–2030), redesignating existing FVPSA funding subsections to accommodate it. Previously, FVPSA focused more on family violence without this targeted emphasis on sexual assault partnerships.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: HHS will administer new grants, technical assistance, and reporting, potentially increasing workload but also expanding its role in coordinating health and victim services. This could lead to better integration of sexual assault support into public health systems.
- On Citizens: Survivors of sexual assault, especially across all ages and including childhood abuse victims, gain improved access to holistic, long-term care like therapy and housing, reducing barriers to health services and promoting recovery.
- On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, as the bill is domestic-focused, though it may indirectly strengthen U.S. standards for victim support in global health discussions.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Survivors of Sexual Assault: Primary beneficiaries, receiving enhanced, lifespan-spanning support.
- Health and Wellness Providers: Including behavioral health, disability programs, and general healthcare systems, who will partner and receive training to offer trauma-informed care.
- Community-Based Organizations: Sexual assault coalitions, rape crisis centers, and culturally specific nonprofits, which can apply for grants and deliver services.
- Tribal and Territorial Entities: Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and territorial coalitions, ensuring culturally relevant support in underserved areas.
- Government: HHS and related offices for implementation; state and local agencies for collaboration.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Strengthens compliance with VAWA by integrating its definitions and privacy standards (e.g., nondisclosure rules), potentially reducing legal gaps in survivor protections. No new mandates on private entities, but emphasizes voluntary partnerships.
- Constitutional: Aligns with the federal government's Spending Clause authority to fund social services; no apparent conflicts with privacy rights (e.g., Fourth Amendment) due to built-in confidentiality safeguards.
- Political: Builds bipartisan support for victim services by expanding FVPSA without overhauling it, addressing long-term survivor needs amid rising awareness of trauma's health effects. Could influence future funding for violence prevention but may face debates over budget priorities in a constrained fiscal environment.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2025-07-17: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
- 2025-07-17: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Healing Partnerships for Survivors Act — issued 2025-07-17 — PDF (10 pages)