HR9693-118

Introduced

To promote the economic security and safety of survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, and for other purposes.

118th Congress Introduced Sep 19, 2024

Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.

Summary

What This Bill Does

This bill creates a comprehensive set of protections for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. It requires employers to provide up to 40 days of 'safe leave' annually (10 days paid) so victims can seek counseling, relocate, attend court proceedings, or take other protective measures. It also prohibits discrimination against victims in employment and insurance.

Who Benefits and How

Survivors of domestic violence and related violence benefit from guaranteed leave rights, job protections, and insurance continuity. Employees receive 40 workdays of protected leave (10 paid) to address violence-related needs. Victims gain protection against insurance denials or cancellations based on their status as abuse survivors, and cannot be denied unemployment benefits if they voluntarily leave work due to violence. Victim services organizations receive expanded grant funding.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Employers must provide up to 40 days of safe leave per employee per year (10 paid), implement reasonable workplace safety accommodations, post notice of employee rights, and face potential liability for violations including liquidated damages and attorney fees. Insurers cannot deny coverage or increase premiums based on abuse-victim status and must maintain coverage for victims who separate from abusers. State unemployment systems must update eligibility rules to cover voluntary separations due to violence.

Key Provisions

  • Requires employers to provide 40 workdays of safe leave annually (10 paid) for violence survivors
  • Prohibits employment discrimination against victims and requires reasonable safety accommodations
  • Bans insurers from denying coverage or raising premiums based on abuse-victim status
  • Expands unemployment eligibility for victims who leave jobs due to violence
  • Invalidates predispute arbitration agreements for claims under this Act

Evidence Chain:

This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.

At a Glance

What This Bill Does

Establishes comprehensive workplace protections, leave entitlements, and insurance protections for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Key Policy Areas

Labor Rights, Public Safety, Insurance Regulation, Social Services, Unemployment Insurance

Primary Purpose

Establishes comprehensive workplace protections, leave entitlements, and insurance protections for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Policy Domains

Labor Rights Public Safety Insurance Regulation Social Services Unemployment Insurance

Title I - Grant Program Reauthorization

Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
  • Victim services organizations
  • Domestic violence coalitions
  • Sexual assault coalitions
  • Survivors of violence
Model: N/A | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih

Contextual inference, no direct clause citation

Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
  • Federal government (grant funding)
Model: N/A | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih

Contextual inference, no direct clause citation

Title V - Insurance Protections

Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
  • Violence survivors seeking insurance
  • Violence survivors maintaining coverage after separation from abuser
Model: N/A | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih

Contextual inference, no direct clause citation

Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
  • Health insurers
  • Life insurers
  • Property and casualty insurers
  • Disability insurers
Model: N/A | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih

Contextual inference, no direct clause citation

Title II - Safe Leave

Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
  • Employees who are survivors of violence
  • Family members of survivors
Model: N/A | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih

Contextual inference, no direct clause citation

Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
  • All employers
  • State welfare agencies
Model: N/A | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih

Contextual inference, no direct clause citation

Title IV - Unemployment Compensation

Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
  • Workers who leave jobs due to violence
Model: N/A | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih

Contextual inference, no direct clause citation

Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
  • State unemployment insurance systems
  • Employers (through UI taxes)
Model: N/A | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih

Contextual inference, no direct clause citation

Title III - Employment Protections

Identified Gains
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
  • Employees who are survivors of violence
  • Job applicants who are survivors
Model: N/A | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih

Contextual inference, no direct clause citation

Identified Costs
Contextual inference, no direct clause citation
  • All employers
  • Public agencies administering public assistance
Model: N/A | Version: bill_summary_v2 | Source: ih

Contextual inference, no direct clause citation

Legislative Progress

Introduced
Introduced Committee Passed
Sep 19, 2024

Mrs. Dingell (for herself, Ms. Moore of Wisconsin, Ms. Kuster, …

Stakeholder Effects

cui bono?

How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.

General Public
12 mentions across 12 clauses
+12 positive

Low-income survivors of violence, Survivors harmed by insurance discrimination, Survivors of violence

All Industries
8 mentions across 8 clauses
-8 negative

Employers in all industries, Employers providing accommodations, Employers required to post notices

Government
8 mentions across 7 clauses
+1 positive -7 negative

Department of Labor, Federal Trade Commission, Health and Human Services

Positive-direction: States with stronger survivor protections

Negative-direction: Department of Labor, Federal Trade Commission, Health and Human Services, Public agencies providing assistance, State social services agencies, State unemployment insurance programs

Professional Services
3 mentions across 3 clauses
+2 positive -1 negative

Arbitration service providers, Employment law attorneys

Positive-direction: Employment law attorneys

Negative-direction: Arbitration service providers

Financial Services
3 mentions across 2 clauses
-3 negative

Health insurance companies, Insurance companies, Life and property insurers

Advocacy Groups
3 mentions across 1 clause
+3 positive

Community-based organizations serving survivors, Domestic violence coalitions, Victim services organizations

Labor
1 mention across 1 clause
+1 positive

Unions with strong leave provisions

Small Business
1 mention across 1 clause
-1 negative

Small businesses

18/30
sections analyzed
Full impact breakdown

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
Social Services Grant Programs
Actor Mappings
"the_director"
→ Director of the Office on Violence Against Women
"the_attorney_general"
→ Attorney General of the United States
Domains
Labor Rights Employee Benefits
Actor Mappings
"the_secretary"
→ Secretary of Labor
Domains
Labor Rights Civil Rights
Actor Mappings
"the_commission"
→ Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
"the_attorney_general"
→ Attorney General of the United States
Domains
Unemployment Insurance Social Safety Net
Actor Mappings
"the_secretary"
→ Secretary of Labor
Domains
Insurance Regulation Consumer Protection
Actor Mappings
"the_secretary"
→ Secretary of Labor
"the_attorney_general"
→ Attorney General
"the_secretary_of_hhs"
→ Secretary of Health and Human Services

Note: The Secretary refers to Secretary of Labor throughout Titles II and IV, with no conflicts

Key Definitions

Terms defined in this bill

6 terms
"qualifying act of violence" §3

Domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or communication of intimate visual depiction without consent

"abuser" §501_abuser

The individual who commits a qualifying act of violence

"insured" §501_insured

A party named on a policy, certificate, or health benefit plan with legal rights to benefits

"insurer" §501_insurer

Any person or entity engaged in insurance business, including health insurers, life insurers, and employers providing employee benefits

"discriminate" §302_discriminate

Includes failing to implement reasonable safety procedures or job modifications in response to violence, as well as harassment or retaliation

"domestic partner" §3_domestic_partner

Another individual with whom the first individual is in a committed relationship

We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.

Learn more about our methodology