On October 28, 2000, President Clinton signed into law the Violence Against women Act (VAWA) of 2000 as Division B of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000. VAWA 2000 reauthorized the Violence Against Women Act through FY2005, set new funding levels, and added new programs.
For FY2006, President Bush requests $515 million for VAWA programs, of which $386 million is for programs administered by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and $129 million for programs administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
On December 8, 2004, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005, was enacted, which provided $387.28 milion in FY2005 funding for violence against women programs administered by DOJ and $129.9 million for those programs administered by HHS.
VAWA established within DOJ and HHS a number of discretionary grant programs for state, local, and Indian tribal governments. DOJ administers VAWA grants designed to aid law enforcement officers and prosecutors, encourage arrest policies, stem domestic violence and child abuse, establish and operate training programs for victim advocates and counselors, and train probation and parole officers who work with released sex offenders. Under HHS, grants include funds for battered women’s shelter, rape prevention and education, reduction of sexual abuse of runaway and homeless street youth, and community programs on domestic violence.