Bill > HR3977

This bill, the Domestic Violence Judicial Support Act of 2012, aims to improve and reauthorize programs that assist families and victims within the justice system who are affected by domestic violence. It authorizes the Attorney General to provide grants to various entities, including state and local governments, tribal governments, and courts, for two main purposes: first, to fund supervised visitation and safe exchange of children between parents in situations involving domestic violence, dating violence, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; and second, to educate court personnel and child protective services workers about the dynamics of these types of violence. Additionally, the bill amends the Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990 to ensure that by January 1, 2015, a court-appointed special advocate, who is a volunteer appointed by the court to advocate for the best interests of a child in abuse or neglect cases, will be available to every child who needs one, and it reauthorizes funding for both the court-appointed special advocate program and child abuse training programs for judicial personnel through fiscal year 2017.