(a) Grants

The Secretary shall award grants for the funding of State Domestic Violence Coalitions.

(b) Allotment of funds

(1) In general

From the amount appropriated under section 10403(a)(2)(D) of this title for each fiscal year, the Secretary shall allot to each of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each of the covered territories an amount equal to 1/56 of the amount so appropriated for such fiscal year.

(2) Definition

For purposes of this subsection, the term “covered territories” means Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

(c) Application

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Each State Domestic Violence Coalition desiring a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary determines to be essential to carry out the objectives of this section. The application submitted by the coalition for the grant shall provide documentation of the coalition’s work, satisfactory to the Secretary, demonstrating that the coalition—

(1) meets all of the applicable requirements set forth in this chapter; and

(2) demonstrates the ability to conduct appropriately all activities described in this section, as indicated by—

(A) documented experience in administering Federal grants to conduct the activities described in subsection (d); or

(B) a documented history of active participation in the activities described in paragraphs (1), (3), (4), and (5) of subsection (d) and a demonstrated capacity to conduct the activities described in subsection (d)(2).

(d) Use of funds

A coalition that receives a grant under this section shall use the grant funds for administration and operations to further the purposes of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence intervention and prevention, through activities that shall include—

(1) working with local family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence service programs and providers of direct services to encourage appropriate and comprehensive responses to family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence against adults or youth within the State involved, including providing training and technical assistance and conducting State needs assessments;

(2) participating in planning and monitoring the distribution of subgrants and subgrant funds within the State under section 10408(a) of this title;

(3) working in collaboration with service providers and community-based organizations to address the needs of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence victims, and their dependents, who are members of racial and ethnic minority populations and underserved populations;

(4) collaborating with and providing information to entities in such fields as housing, health care, mental health, social welfare, or business to support the development and implementation of effective policies, protocols, and programs that address the safety and support needs of adult and youth victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence;

(5) encouraging appropriate responses to cases of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence against adults or youth, including by working with judicial and law enforcement agencies;

(6) working with family law judges, criminal court judges, child protective service agencies, and children’s advocates to develop appropriate responses to child custody and visitation issues in cases of child exposure to family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence and in cases in which—

(A) family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence is present; and

(B) child abuse is present;

(7) providing information to the public about prevention of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence, including information targeted to underserved populations; and

(8) collaborating with Indian tribes and tribal organizations (and corresponding Native Hawaiian groups or communities) to address the needs of Indian (including Alaska Native) and Native Hawaiian victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, as applicable in the State.

(e) Limitation on use of funds

A coalition that receives a grant under this section shall not be required to use funds received under this chapter for the purposes described in paragraph (5) or (6) of subsection (d) if the coalition provides an annual assurance to the Secretary that the coalition is—

(1) using funds received under section 2001(c)(1) of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg(c)(1)) ¹ for such purposes; and

(2) coordinating the activities carried out by the coalition under subsection (d) with the State’s activities under part T of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 3796gg et seq.) ¹ that address those purposes.

(f) Prohibition on lobbying

No funds made available to entities under this section shall be used, directly or indirectly, to influence the issuance, amendment, or revocation of any executive order or similar promulgation by any Federal, State, or local agency, or to undertake to influence the passage or defeat of any legislation by Congress, or by any State or local legislative body, or State proposals by initiative petition, except that the representatives of the entity may testify or make other appropriate communication—

(1) when formally requested to do so by a legislative body, a committee, or a member of the body or committee; or

(2) in connection with legislation or appropriations directly affecting the activities of the entity.

(g) Reports and evaluation

Each entity receiving a grant under this section shall submit a performance report to the Secretary at such time as shall be reasonably required by the Secretary. Such performance report shall describe the activities that have been carried out with such grant funds, contain an evaluation of the effectiveness of such activities, and provide such additional information as the Secretary may reasonably require.

(h) Indian representatives

For purposes of this section, a State Domestic Violence Coalition may include representatives of Indian tribes and tribal organizations.