State Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 23 additional attorneys general from around the country are urging the U.S. Senate to take action to protect women nationwide by reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, which expired more than a year ago.
In a letter to Senate leadership, Attorney General James and the coalition point out that as isolation and uncertainty during the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health crisis has increased, so too have the risks to women who have fallen victim to domestic violence, requiring immediate action from the Senate.
The Violence Against Women Act was originally signed into law in 1994, creating an Office on Violence Against Women within the U.S. Department of Justice and providing billions of dollars for investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, as well as financial support to women in need. The act has been reauthorized several times, most recently in 2013.