34 U.S.C. § 12341 — Rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child abuse enforcement assistance

to identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence^*, sexual assault, dating violence^*, and stalking in rural communities, by encouraging collaboration among—

to establish and expand nonprofit, nongovernmental, State, tribal, territorial, and local government victim services in rural communities to child, youth, and adult victims;

to increase the safety and well-being of women and children in rural communities, by—

to develop, expand, implement, and improve the quality of sexual assault forensic medical examination or sexual assault nurse examiner programs.

implementing, expanding, and establishing cooperative efforts and projects among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim service providers, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, including developing multidisciplinary teams focusing on high risk cases with the goal of preventing domestic and dating violence homicides;

providing treatment, counseling, advocacy, legal assistance^*, and other long-term and short-term victim and population specific services to adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities, including assistance in immigration matters;

working in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies directed toward such issues; and

developing, enlarging, or strengthening programs addressing sexual assault, including sexual assault forensic examiner programs, Sexual Assault Response Teams, law enforcement training, and programs addressing rape kit backlogs;

developing programs and strategies that focus on the specific needs of victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking who reside in remote rural and geographically isolated areas, including addressing the challenges posed by the lack of access to quality forensic sexual assault examinations by trained health care providers, shelters, and victims services, and limited law enforcement resources and training, and providing training and resources to Community Health Aides involved in the delivery of Indian Health Service programs.

Of the amounts appropriated for each fiscal year to carry out this section, not more than 8 percent may be used by the Director for technical assistance costs. Of the amounts appropriated in this subsection, no less than 25 percent of such amounts shall be available to a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization or organizations whose focus and expertise is in addressing sexual assault to provide technical assistance to sexual assault grantees.

In awarding grants under this section, the Director shall give priority to the needs of underserved populations.

Not less than 75 percent of the total amount made available for each fiscal year to carry out this section shall be allocated to eligible entities located in rural States.

There are authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2023 through 2027 to carry out this section.

In addition to funds received through a grant under subsection (b), a law enforcement agency may use funds received through a grant under part Q of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796dd et seq.) 2 to accomplish the objectives of this section.