Rural Program Statute

34 U.S. Code § 12341 - Rural
domestic violence, dating
violence, sexual assault, stalking,
and child abuse enforcement
assistance
U.S. Code
• Notes
(a)PURPOSESThe purposes of this section are—
(1)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—
(A)
domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking victim
service providers;
(B)
law enforcement agencies;
(C)
prosecutors;
(D)
courts;
(E)
other criminal justice service providers;
(F)
human and community service providers;
(G)
educational institutions; and
(H)
health care providers, including sexual assault forensic examiners;
(2)
to establish and expand nonprofit, nongovernmental, State, tribal, territorial,
and local government victim services in rural communities to
child, youth, and adult victims;
(3)to increase the safety and well-being of women and children in rural
communities, by—
•

(A)
dealing directly and immediately with domestic violence, sexual
assault, dating violence, and stalking occurring in rural communities; and
(B)
creating and implementing strategies to increase awareness and
prevent domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking; and
(4)
to develop, expand, implement, and improve the quality of sexual
assault forensic medical examination or sexual assault nurse examiner
programs.
(b)GRANTS AUTHORIZEDThe Attorney General, acting through the Director of
the Office on Violence Against Women (referred to in this section as the
“Director”), may award grants to States, Indian tribes, local governments,
and nonprofit, public or private entities, including tribal nonprofit
organizations, to carry out programs serving rural areas or rural
communities that address domestic violence, dating violence, sexual
assault, and stalking by—
(1)
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;
(2)
providing treatment, counseling, advocacy, legal assistance, and other longterm 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;
(3)
working in cooperation with the community to develop education and
prevention strategies directed toward such issues; and
(4)
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;
(5)
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.
(c)USE OF FUNDS
Funds appropriated pursuant to this section shall be used only for specific
programs and activities expressly described in subsection (a).
(d)ALLOTMENTS AND PRIORITIES
(1)ALLOTMENT FOR INDIAN TRIBES
(A)In general
Not less than 10 percent of the total amount available under this section for
each fiscal year shall be available for grants under the program authorized
by section 10452 of this title.
(B)Applicability of part [1]
The requirements of this section shall not apply to funds allocated for the
program described in subparagraph (A).
(2)ALLOTMENT FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT
(A)In general
Not less than 25 percent of the total amount appropriated in a fiscal year
under this section shall fund services that meaningfully address sexual
assault in rural communities, however at such time as the amounts
appropriated reach the amount of $45,000,000, the percentage allocated
shall rise to 30 percent of the total amount appropriated, at such time as the
amounts appropriated reach the amount of $50,000,000, the percentage
allocated shall rise to 35 percent of the total amount appropriated, and at
such time as the amounts appropriated reach the amount of $55,000,000,
the percentage allocated shall rise to 40 percent of the amounts
appropriated.
(B)Multiple purpose applications
Nothing in this section shall prohibit any applicant from applying for funding
to address sexual assault, domestic violence, stalking, or dating violence in
the same application.
(3)ALLOTMENT FOR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
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.
(4)UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS
In awarding grants under this section, the Director shall give priority to the
needs of underserved populations.
(5)ALLOCATION OF FUNDS FOR RURAL STATES
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.
(e)AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
(1)IN GENERAL
There are authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 for each of fiscal
years 2023 through 2027 to carry out this section.
(2)ADDITIONAL FUNDING
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.