Melanie's Law

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

Notwithstanding subsection (a)(1), each eligible State shall receive an amount under subsection (a)(1) of not less than 0.5 percent.

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.

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.

There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2036.