AUSTIN, Texas — U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) on Tuesday is expected to announce a multimillion-dollar federal boost to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, which is headquartered in Austin.
He led the effort in Congress to secure the money, which has already been approved by the House. The Senate could approve it as early as December.
“There's a serious problem, and it's reflected in the number of calls that the hotline gets around the country,” Rep. Doggett said. “This is mainly to increase capacity to meet all the needs that are out there, also to adapt as much as possible culturally sensitive responses.”
In addition to supporting the hotline, the money will also go toward setting up a pilot program that focuses on abusers and what can be done to stop these types of cases from repeating or escalating, Doggett said.
“What we know about domestic violence is it's not limited to one particular culture or one particular economic level. We need to be ready to respond to the varying circumstances that may affect particular neighbors,” he said.
If approved by the Senate, a spokesperson for Rep. Doggett said the money could become available as early as January. Rep. Doggett said the boost has bipartisan support and he's convinced it will pass in the Senate.
Rep. Doggett will reveal more details about the pilot program and how much of a boost is expected during a press conference on Tuesday.
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
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