Tech Safety Act Launches 5-Year Pilot Program to Fight Digital Abuse with $2M Grants

When we talk about domestic violence or stalking, we usually picture physical threats, but the reality for most people today is that abuse has gone digital. This legislation, officially called the Tech Safety for Victims of Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Act, steps in to directly address that shift. It’s based on the finding that nearly all domestic violence programs report abusers using technology—from spyware to monitoring apps—to stalk and control victims. The bill sets up two new grant programs designed to fund the expertise needed to fight back against this growing problem.

The Pilot Program: Pairing Tech with Victim Services

The core of the bill is a new, five-year Pilot Program designed to fund Eligible Consortia—which is just a fancy term for a partnership between victim service centers and tech experts. To qualify, a group must bring together a domestic or sexual violence center and an institution that offers advanced degrees in IT or cybersecurity, or a public/private group with a technical workforce. This ensures the people helping victims understand both trauma and how to wipe a phone clean of spyware or trace digital footprints.

Under this pilot, the Director of the Office on Violence Against Women is authorized to award up to 15 grants, each capped at $2,000,000. The money can be used to buy new, secure devices for survivors—think of a victim needing a clean phone an abuser can’t track—or for direct services that reduce technological abuse. This is a crucial step because it recognizes that victim services need funding not just for counseling, but for specialized cybersecurity help. However, the bill gives the grant recipients pretty broad authority here, allowing funds for "any other activity... as long as it helps reduce technological abuse," which means the Director will need to keep a close eye on how that money is spent to ensure it stays focused on tech safety.

Building the Knowledge Base

The second major component is a separate grant program focused entirely on education. The bill authorizes up to $20,000,000 in total funding for grants to nonprofits and colleges over a five-year period. This money is specifically for creating educational tools, training curricula, and resources related to technological abuse. The goal here is long-term: to make sure victim advocates, law enforcement, and even the general public stay current on the latest digital threats, from hidden cameras to sophisticated monitoring software.

This educational grant program is smart because tech changes fast. What counts as abuse today might be old news in six months. By funding dedicated curriculum development, the bill aims to create a pipeline of updated expertise. Importantly, groups that get funding for the pilot program can also apply for this education funding, allowing successful consortia to both provide direct services and train others.

What Happens Next

This isn't just a simple handout; there are built-in accountability checks. The Director must consult with agencies like the FCC and the Department of Education, ensuring that the grants aren't operating in a vacuum. Furthermore, the Director must report back to Congress: a mid-program review after three years, and a final report one year after the five-year pilot ends. This reporting structure is key, as it forces the government to analyze what worked, what didn't, and whether this temporary pilot needs to become a permanent program. For everyday people, this means the government is finally dedicating resources to the digital safety challenges that have become an unavoidable part of modern life.