Bill Summary
The "Strengthening Protections for Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act of 2025" aims to enhance legal protections for individuals affected by domestic violence and stalking. Key provisions of the bill include:
1. **Expanded Definition of Intimate Partner**: The legislation amends the definition of "intimate partner" to explicitly include individuals involved in dating relationships, both current and former. This change ensures that protections under domestic violence laws apply to a broader range of relationships.
2. **Inclusion of Children**: The bill extends the definition of "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" to include offenses committed by individuals who have a current or recent dating relationship with the parent or guardian of a victim's child, thereby recognizing the impact of domestic violence on children.
3. **New Stalking Offense**: The bill introduces a clear definition of "misdemeanor crime of stalking," which includes acts of harassment or intimidation that create fear for personal safety among victims or their family members, intimate partners, or even pets.
4. **Impact on Firearm Possession**: Individuals convicted of misdemeanor stalking will be restricted from owning or possessing firearms, thus promoting safety for potential victims.
Overall, this legislation seeks to strengthen legal frameworks around domestic violence and stalking, ensuring greater protection for survivors and their families.
Possible Impacts
The "Strengthening Protections for Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act of 2025" could affect people in several significant ways, including:
1. **Expanded Legal Definitions**: The inclusion of individuals in dating relationships as "intimate partners" means that victims of dating violence may have greater access to legal protections and recourse. This change recognizes the complexities of modern relationships and acknowledges that intimate partner violence can occur outside of traditional marriages. As a result, more individuals may feel empowered to seek help and report incidents of abuse, leading to increased accountability for perpetrators.
2. **Protection for Children of Dating Partners**: The amendment that includes the children of dating partners in the definition of "misdemeanor crime of domestic violence" expands the scope of legal protections for minors. This could lead to stronger legal actions against those who perpetrate violence in situations involving children, ensuring their safety and well-being. It emphasizes the importance of protecting not only victims but also vulnerable children who might be affected by domestic violence or stalking situations.
3. **Enhanced Penalties and Firearm Restrictions for Stalking**: The legislation introduces new prohibitions for misdemeanor crimes of stalking, which can result in individuals being barred from purchasing or possessing firearms if convicted. This change aims to reduce the risk of violence for victims of stalking by limiting access to lethal means for offenders. Individuals who experience stalking may feel safer knowing that there are legal consequences and restrictions in place designed to protect them from potential harm.
Overall, the act seeks to create a more comprehensive legal framework for addressing intimate partner violence and stalking, ultimately enhancing protections for victims and promoting accountability for offenders.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4166 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4166
To amend title 18, United States Code, to define intimate partner to
include someone with whom there is or was a dating relationship, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 26, 2025
Mrs. Dingell (for herself and Mr. Fitzpatrick) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 18, United States Code, to define intimate partner to
include someone with whom there is or was a dating relationship, 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 the ``Strengthening Protections for
Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. ADDRESSING INTIMATEPARTNER VIOLENCE.
(a) Inclusion of Current and Former Dating Partners in Definition
of ``Intimate Partner''.--Section 921(a) of title 18, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (32)--
(A) by striking ``and an individual'' and inserting
``an individual''; and
(B) by inserting before the period at the end the
following: ``, an individual who is or was in a dating
relationship with the person, or any other individual
similarly situated to a spouse, including an individual
who is protected by the domestic or family violence
laws of the State or Tribal jurisdiction in which the
abuse occurred or the victim resides'';
(2) by striking paragraph (37)(A) and inserting the
following:
``(37)(A) The term `dating relationship' means a relationship
between individuals who have or have had, or in the case of a
misdemeanor crime of domestic violence have or have recently had, a
continuing serious relationship of a romantic or intimate nature.'';
and
(3) in paragraph (37)(C), by striking ``dating
relationship'' and inserting ``continuing serious
relationship''.
(b) Inclusion of Dating Partners' Children in Definition of
``Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence''.--Section 921(a)(33)(A)(ii)
of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking ``victim, or by a person'' and inserting
``victim, by a person''; and
(2) by inserting ``, or by a person who has a current or
recent former dating relationship with the parent, guardian, or
person similarly situated to a parent or guardian of the
victim'' before the period at the end.
(c) New Prohibitor for Misdemeanor Crimes of Stalking.--Chapter 44
of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in section 921(a), by adding at the end the following:
``(39)(A) Except as provided in subparagraphs (B) and (C), the term
`misdemeanor crime of stalking' means an offense that--
``(i) is a misdemeanor under Federal, State, Tribal, or
local law; and
``(ii) has as an element a course of harassment,
intimidation, or surveillance that--
``(I) places a person in reasonable fear of actual
harm to the health or safety of--
``(aa) that person;
``(bb) an immediate family member (as
defined in section 115) of that person;
``(cc) an individual who shares or has
shared a residence with that person, without
regard to whether the individual is related to
that person;
``(dd) an intimate partner of that person;
or
``(ee) the pet, service animal, or
emotional support animal (as those terms are
defined in section 2266) of that person; or
``(II) causes, attempts to cause, or would
reasonably be expected to cause emotional distress to a
person described in item (aa), (bb), (cc), or (dd) of
subclause (I).
``(B) A person shall not be considered to have been convicted of
such an offense for purposes of this chapter, unless--
``(i) the person was represented by counsel in the case, or
knowingly and intelligently waived the right to counsel in the
case; and
``(ii) in the case of a prosecution for an offense
described in this paragraph for which a person was entitled to
a jury trial in the jurisdiction in which the case was tried,
either--
``(I) the case was tried by a jury; or
``(II) the person knowingly and intelligently
waived the right to have the case tried by a jury, by
guilty plea or otherwise.
``(C) A person shall not be considered to have been convicted of
such an offense for purposes of this chapter if the conviction has been
expunged or set aside, or is an offense for which the person has been
pardoned or has had civil rights restored (if the law of the applicable
jurisdiction provides for the loss of civil rights under such an
offense) unless the pardon, expungement, or restoration of civil rights
expressly provides that the person may not ship, transport, possess, or
receive firearms.''; and
(2) in section 922--
(A) in subsection (d)--
(i) by redesignating paragraphs (10) and
(11) as paragraphs (11) and (12), respectively;
(ii) by inserting after paragraph (9) the
following:
``(10) has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor
crime of stalking;''; and
(iii) in paragraph (12), as so
redesignated, by striking ``(10)'' and
inserting ``(11)''; and
(B) in subsection (g)--
(i) in paragraph (8), by striking ``or'' at
the end;
(ii) in paragraph (9), by striking the
comma at the end and inserting ``; or''; and
(iii) by inserting after paragraph (9) the
following:
``(10) has been convicted in any court of a misdemeanor
crime of stalking,''.
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