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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8733 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8733
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to
establish a grant program to support protective orders that protect
individuals who are related by blood or marriage to individuals in
intimate relationships, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 11, 2026
Mr. Ryan introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to
establish a grant program to support protective orders that protect
individuals who are related by blood or marriage to individuals in
intimate relationships, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as ``Melanie's Law''.
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT PROTECTIVE ORDERS THAT PROTECT
INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE RELATED BY BLOOD OR MARRIAGE TO
INDIVIDUALS IN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS.
Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968
(34 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
``PART PP--MELANIE'S LAW: GRANT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT PROTECTIVE ORDERS
THAT PROTECT INDIVIDUALS RELATED BY BLOOD OR MARRIAGE TO INDIVIDUALS IN
INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS
``SEC. 3061. PURPOSE; DEFINITION OF MELANIE'S LAW PROTECTIVE ORDER
AUTHORITIES.
``(a) Purpose.--The purpose of this part is to support States to
implement the Melanie's Law protective order authorities and carry out
related activities involving protective orders and domestic violence.
``(b) Definition of Melanie's Law Protective Order Authorities.--In
this part, the term `Melanie's Law protective order authorities' means
laws that ensure that family courts and criminal courts, as applicable,
have each of the following authorities:
``(1) The jurisdiction and authority to issue and enforce a
protective order that protects one individual from another,
where the two individuals--
``(A) are related by consanguinity or affinity;
``(B) are legally married to each other;
``(C) were formerly married to each other,
regardless of whether the individuals still reside in
the same household;
``(D) have a child in common, regardless of whether
the individuals have been married or have lived
together at any time; or
``(E) are or have been in an intimate relationship
with each other.
``(2) In a situation in which two individuals are or have
been in an intimate relationship with each other, the
jurisdiction and authority to issue and enforce a protective
order that protects a third individual, regardless of age,
where that third individual is related by consanguinity or
affinity to either of the two individuals.
``SEC. 3062. GRANTS.
``(a) Authority.--The Attorney General may make grants to eligible
States for the following purposes:
``(1) To provide education and training to law enforcement
officers, prosecutors, and courts on the Melanie's Law
protective order authorities and the implementation of those
authorities.
``(2) To facilitate the service of process of protective
orders, such as by enabling or improving service of process--
``(A) in person or by electronic means; or
``(B) across State, Tribal, or local jurisdictional
lines.
``(3) To establish or enhance--
``(A) systems that manage and track information
about protective orders and violations of protective
orders, such as systems operated by law enforcement
agencies or courts; and
``(B) mechanisms for the sharing of such
information between and among such systems.
``(4) To support official units or positions that have
specialized responsibilities with respect to protective orders
or domestic violence, such as to enforce or promote compliance,
to prosecute violations, or to coordinate with others on such
matters.
``(5) To enable or improve the provision to victims in
matters involving protective orders of--
``(A) civil legal services, to help such victims
obtain, modify, and enforce protective orders or to
represent such victims in related matters involving
immigration or custody;
``(B) victim advocacy services, hotline services,
and crisis response services;
``(C) emergency shelter services, relocation
assistance, transportation assistance, childcare
assistance, and short-term housing assistance;
``(D) access to counseling, trauma-informed
therapy, and case management; and
``(E) access to communications equipment and
services for personal safety and for participation in
hearings or other official proceedings.
``(b) Eligibility.--To be eligible for grants under this section, a
State must have in effect, and must certify that it has in effect, the
Melanie's Law protective order authorities.
``(c) Use of Grant Amounts.--Upon request of an eligible State, the
Attorney General may permit the State to use grant amounts under this
part to provide the non-Federal share of the cost of programs or
projects funded by other grant programs administered by the Attorney
General that provide support or services to victims.
``SEC. 3063. APPLICATIONS.
``(a) In General.--To request a grant under this part, the chief
executive of a State shall submit an application to the Attorney
General in such form and containing such information as the Attorney
General may reasonably require. Such application shall include
assurances that Federal funds received under this part shall be used to
supplement, not supplant, non-Federal funds that would otherwise be
available for activities funded under this part, except as provided in
section 3062(c).
``(b) Implementation Plan.--Such application shall include an
implementation plan describing how the funds will be used, what
performance measures will be applied, and how the State will coordinate
and partner with the relevant elements of the justice system, judicial
system, and victims services system.
``SEC. 3064. ALLOCATIONS.
``(a) In General.--For each fiscal year, of the amounts authorized
to be appropriated for that fiscal year, the Attorney General may
obligate--
``(1) not more than 75 percent for grants to eligible
States on a formula basis, with each such State receiving an
amount that bears the same ratio to the 75 percent as the
population of the State bears to the population of all such
States;
``(2) not more than 22 percent for grants to eligible
States on a competitive basis; and
``(3) not more than 3 percent for the administrative
expenses of the Attorney General in carrying out this part for
that fiscal year, including technical assistance, training,
evaluation, and program administration.
``(b) Minimum Allocation Under Formula.--Notwithstanding subsection
(a)(1), each eligible State shall receive an amount under subsection
(a)(1) of not less than 0.5 percent.
``SEC. 3065. REPORTS.
``Each grantee receiving funds under this part shall submit a
report to the Attorney General evaluating the effectiveness of projects
developed with funds provided under this part and containing such
additional information as the Attorney General may prescribe.
``SEC. 3066. DEFINITION OF STATE.
``In this part, the term `State' means each of the several States
and the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam,
American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
``SEC. 3067. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
``There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part
$200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2036.''.
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