A bill to make technical corrections to the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005.
Public Law 109-271 · S. 3693 · 109th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by George W. Bush (R) on Aug 12, 2006 · Crime and Law Enforcement
Sponsor: Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA)
Cosponsors (1): Sen. Joseph Biden
Passage votes
- HouseUnanimous consent
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Makes technical corrections and other amendments to the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (the Act) and other related federal legislation.
(Sec. 1) Establishes as new short titles for specified provisions of the Act: (1) the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2005; and (2) the Department of Justice Appropriations Authorization Act of 2005.
Delays the effective date of specified provisions of the Act until FY2007.
Makes certain definitions and grant conditions in the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 applicable to provisions of the Act relating to crimes on campuses, outreach to underserved populations, and cultural services.
Defines "tribal nonprofit organization" for purposes of the Act.
Modifies universal grant conditions of the Act to qualify states for waivers of matching fund requirements based on demonstrated financial need.
(Sec. 2) Extends the authorization of appropriations for sex offender management programs through FY2011.
Amends federal criminal code provisions relating to domestic violence and stalking to modify the definition of "spouse or intimate partner."
Eliminates provisions of the Act relating to training, technical assistance, and data collection for violence against women "STOP" grants and grants to encourage arrest.
Modifies the reporting requirement for recipients of grants for outreach to underserved populations.
Extends to three years the compliance period for making forensic medical exams available to victims of sexual assault.
Expands grant purposes for community-based programs for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Modifies funding allocations under the grant program to combat violent crimes against women relating to law enforcement, prosecutors, and victims services.
(Sec. 3) Repeals the sexual assault services program enacted by the Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 and reestablishes such program in the Violence Against Women Act of 1994.
(Sec. 4) Modifies: (1) grant purpose provisions relating to violent crimes on campuses; and (2) grantee reporting requirements to require annual rather than biennial reports on programs to combat such crime.
(Sec. 5) Makes technical amendments to housing provisions of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, the Stewart B. McKinney Homeless Assistance Act, and the United States Housing Act of 1937.
Amends the Housing Act of 1937 to: (1) prohibit the denial of assisted housing benefits to individuals who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking; and (2) allow the eviction of assisted housing tenants who engage in criminal acts of domestic violence against family members or others.
(Sec. 6) Amends the Immigration and Naturalization Act to modify provisions relating to admissibility, waivers, removal, and adjustment of status for Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) self-petitioners. Allows the Secretary of Homeland Security to waive inadmissibility for a VAWA self-petitioner if there is a connection between the alien's battering or subjection to extreme cruelty and the alien's removal, departure from the United States, or reentry or reentries into the United States.
(Sec. 7) Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (OCCSSA) to: (1) modify grant allocations to Indian tribal governments for programs to combat violence against women and to encourage arrests and enforce protection orders; and (2) authorize the Attorney General to make grants to such governments for free (or minimal cost) legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, stalking, or sexual assault who are seeking legal relief.
Amends the Safe Homes for Women Act of 1994, the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and the Violence Against Women Act of 2000 to modify grant allocations for specified programs to combat violence against Indian tribal women.
(Sec. 8) Transfers grant authority for the organized retail theft national database and the juvenile and young adult witness assistance program from the Attorney General to the Director of the Bureau of Justice Assistance in the Office of Justice Programs.
Repeals provisions of the Act relating to state grants and reporting requirements under OCCSSA.
Extends restrictions on payments to private entities for Justice Department employee training facilities to include meals, lodging, or other expenses related to internal training or conference meetings.
Extends the application period for grants under the Bureau of Justice Assistance Grant Programs (Byrne Grants) from 90 to 120 days after the date funds for such grants are appropriated.
Transfers grant authority for the matching grant program for school security from the Attorney General to the Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services.
Increases FY2006 authorizations of appropriations for: (1) the U.S. Marshals Service; (2) the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); (3) fees and expenses of witnesses; and (4) the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission.
Transfers responsibility for Drug Courts technical assistance and training from the Community Capacity Development Office to the Bureau of Justice Assistance.
Changes effective dates for various programs under the Act.
Committees
The record shows no committee referral for this bill.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
2 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 3402 · became Public Law 109-162Related bill
Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005
S.Con.Res. 112Procedurally-relatedRelated bill
A concurrent resolution relating to correcting a clerical error in the enrollment of S. 3693.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.
- Aug 12, 2006Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 109-271.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Aug 2, 2006FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Jul 29, 2006FloorFloor · Pursuant to the provisions of S. Con. Res. 112, enrollment corrections on S. 3693 have been made.
- FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On passage Passed without objection.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Cannon asked unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table and consider.
- FloorFloor · Considered by unanimous consent.
- Jul 20, 2006FloorFloor · Held at the desk.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- Jul 19, 2006FloorFloor · Introduced in the Senate, read twice, considered, read the third time, and passed without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.