WHB/1/8
Sponsored by Justin Carranza, Fatima Garcia of Columbia Central High School
This legislation was filed in the Human Services category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT |
| 2 | Section 1: Terms used in the act shall be defined as follows: |
| 3 | a) Domestic Violence: an act of physical, emotional, sexual, or economic abuse committed by |
| 4 | one's family member or partner. Some effects of domestic violence include physical injuries, |
| 5 | Emotional trauma, social isolation, psychological effects, interpersonal relationships and many |
| 6 | more. |
| 7 | B) Social Isolation: where one person isolates themselves from other individuals based on trauma. |
| 8 | |
| 9 | Section 2: By allocating $7 Million to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security |
| 10 | to be distributed as grants to establish or strengthen domestic violence shelters and support |
| 11 | services across the state. |
| 12 | b) $2 million of the funding shall go towards the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation for training |
| 13 | programs to improve law enforcement response to domestic violence cases. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Section 3: By establishing a program to provide support and protection to the victims, The |
| 16 | Department of Safety and Homeland Security will establish a network of safe housing shelters |
| 17 | across the state, with a focus on providing immediate shelter and support services for victims |
| 18 | fleeing abuse. By adding advertisements in social media and local news and in newspapers etc. |
| 19 | A statewide domestic violence hotline will also be established, staffed by trained professionals |
| 20 | offering 24/7 service and resources. |
| 21 | |
| 22 | Section 4: The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security will be the lead agency |
| 23 | responsible for overseeing the implementation of this Act. The department will work collaboratively |
| 24 | with other relevant state agencies, including the Department of Health, Department of Education, |
| 25 | Tennessee Justice Center, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. |
| 26 | A task force comprised of representatives from these agencies, domestic violence shelters, and |
| 27 | victim advocacy groups will be established to develop a comprehensive implementation plan within |
| 28 | six months of the Act's passage. |
| 29 |