According to a newly designed Bureau of Justice Statistics survey, “women annually reported about 500,000 rapes and sexual assaults…” Legislation proposing a federal response to the problem of violence against women was first introduced in 1990. Over the next several years, congressional actions to address public concerns about this problem culminated in the enactment of new penalties under the Violence Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and the establishment of several grant programs under its Title IV, the Violence Against Women Act (P.L. 103-322). In FY1996, Congress approved VAWA funding for selected problems, including the Department of Justice ($165 million); and the Department of Health and Human Services ($54 million). In FY1997, Congress approved VAWA funding for selected programs including the Department of Justice ($197.5 million), and the Department of Health and Human Services ($61 million).