Melanie's Law would add a new part to the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act to create a federal grant program. The grants would go to States that have a set of "Melanie's Law protective order authorities." Those authorities are rules that let family and criminal courts issue and enforce protective orders when people are related by blood or marriage, are or were married, share a child, or are or were in an intimate relationship. The law also covers situations where a court can protect a third person who is related by blood or marriage to someone in an intimate relationship.
Grants may be used for training law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts; improving how protective orders are served (including across jurisdictions or electronically); building or improving systems that track protective orders and violations; creating or supporting units that handle protective order enforcement and prosecution; and providing victim services such as civil legal help, advocacy hotlines, shelters, relocation, transportation, childcare, counseling, and safety communications.
To get a grant, a State must have the required protective-order authorities in effect and certify that it does. The State chief executive must apply to the Attorney General with an implementation plan, performance measures, and assurances that federal funds will supplement, not supplant, non-Federal funds (with one narrow exception allowing grant funds to cover non-Federal shares of certain other Department of Justice grants).
The bill sets out how money is allocated: up to 75 percent of funds may be distributed by formula based on population, up to 22 percent may be awarded competitively, and up to 3 percent may pay administrative costs. Each eligible State must receive at least 0.5 percent of the formula portion. Grantees must report to the Attorney General on project effectiveness. The law also defines "State" to include U.S. territories.
If your State enacts and certifies the required protective-order authorities, it could receive federal grants to improve how courts and law enforcement issue and enforce protective orders and to expand services for victims of domestic violence. That could mean more training for police and prosecutors, better systems to track orders and violations, faster or cross-jurisdictional service of orders, and more access to legal help, shelters, counseling, or emergency assistance for victims. If your State does not have those authorities in place, it would not be eligible for these grants.
The bill authorizes $200,000,000 to be appropriated for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2036. Of available funds each year, up to 75 percent may be awarded by formula, up to 22 percent competitively, and up to 3 percent may cover administrative costs (including training and evaluation). Each eligible State must receive at least 0.5 percent of the formula portion. Grantee States must use funds to supplement, not supplant, other non-Federal funds except as allowed for covering the non-Federal share of certain other Department of Justice grants.
The bill's stated purpose is to support States in implementing the defined protective order authorities and to carry out related activities involving protective orders and domestic violence.
No publicly available information.