Supplementary Resources
A. Referenced U.S. Federal Laws:
- VAWA 2005: U.S. Violence Against Women and Department of Justice Reauthorization Act of 2005 (PDF file), enacted as Public Law 109‐162 on January 5, 2006.
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is the first U.S. federal legislation acknowledging domestic violence and sexual assault as crimes, and provided federal resources to encourage community-coordinated responses to combating violence. In addition, VAWA 2005 specifies grantees' obligations to survivor's privacy and confidentiality.
- FVPSA 2010: U.S. Family Violence Prevention Services Act reauthorized as part of the U.S. Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (CAPTA) and enacted as Public Law 111‐320 on December 20, 2010.
The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), first authorized in 1984, is the only federal funding source dedicated directly to domestic violence shelters and programs.
- Clery Act: U.S. Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery), codified at 20 U.S.C. § 1092(f), with Clery Act implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. 668.46.
The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act is the landmark federal law, originally known as the Campus Security Act, that requires colleges and universities across the United States to disclose information about crime on and around their campuses.
- HIPAA: U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act originally enacted in 1996 as Public Law 104‐191.
The HIPAA Privacy Rule provides federal protections for personal health information held by covered entities and gives patients an array of rights with respect to that information.
- FERPA: U.S. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, codified at 20 U.S.C. § 1232g with implementing regulations at 34 C.F.R. Part 99.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.
- ECPA: U.S. Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, enacted as Public Law 99-508, 100 Stat. 1848, and codified at 18 U.S.C. § 2510-2522.
The Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) is about access, use, disclosure, interception and privacy protections of electronic communications.- ECPA Title I: codified at 18 USC § 2511, prohibits interception and disclosure of wired, oral or electronic communication while in transit.
- ECPA Title II: The Stored Communications Act, 18 USC §§ 2701‐12 makes it unlawful to intentionally access stored communications without authorization or by exceeding authorized access.
B. Resources by U.S. Government Agencies:
- Department of Justice's Office of Violence Against Women (OVW)
- Department of Education:
- Department of Health and Human Services:
C. Resources from OVW-Funded National Technical Assistance Providers:
- Forensic Compliance: End Violence Against Women International's has OVW-funded Technical Assistance and Forensic Compliance Resources including a self-assessment tool to use in your own community, and sample policies, protocols, forms, and other documents that can be adapted for use.
- Accessing Safety Initiative (ASI) is an OVW-funded initiative by VERA that helps organizations and communities meet the needs of women with disabilities & Deaf women who are victims or survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault & stalking.
- Security on Campus is a national non-profit campus security organization geared to the prevention of college and university campus crime and outreach and education about the Clery Act.