Each year women report approximately 500,000 rapes and sexual assaults, according to a recently designed Bureau of Justice Statistics survey. The extent and seriousness of the problem of violence against women first was addressed in 1990 by legislation proposing a federal response. Over the next several years, Congress began to address mounting public concern about gender-related crime, culminating in the enactment of new penalties under the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, and the establishment of several grant programs under its Tile IV, the Violence Against Women Act (P.L. 103-322). Since passage of P.L. 103-322, Congress has been supportive regarding funding. In FY1997, Congress approved VAWA funding for selected programs at the Department of Justice at $197.5 million and at the Department of Health and Human Services for $61 million. In FY1998, Congress approved VAWA funding for selected programs at the Department of Justice at $270.75 million and at the Department of Health and Human Services at $154 million.