U.S. Congress legislation · 119th Congress
HB10470: SHIELD for Victims Act of 2026
Status: In committee, September 16, 2026
To direct the Attorney General to develop an evidence-based lethality assessment tool for use by law enforcement with respect to domestic violence and to develop a public awareness campaign with respect to resources for victims of domestic violence, and for other purposes.
What the bill says
To direct the Attorney General to develop an evidence-based lethality assessment tool for use by law enforcement with respect to domestic violence and to develop a public awareness campaign with respect to resources for victims of domestic violence, and for other purposes.
From the introduced text, September 16, 2026:
A BILL To direct the Attorney General to develop an evidence-based lethality assessment tool for use by law enforcement with respect to domestic violence and to develop a public awareness campaign with respect to resources for victims of domestic violence, and for other purposes. SECTION 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Screening Harm, Identifying Escalating Lethality Danger for Victims Act of 2026 or as the SHIELD for Victims Act of 2026 . SECTION 2. Findings The Congress finds as follows: (1) As already recognized by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), intimate partner violence is a pervasive issue in the United States. And researchers at the NIJ found that the Lethality Assessment Program reduced the severity and frequency of violence survivors experienced. (2) The Lethality Assessment Program is a lethality screen for intimate partner violence victims recognized by the U.S. Department of Justice as a promising practice in intimate partner homicide prevention. (3) The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs has an existing relationship with the Lethality Program Maryland Model and encourages DOJ to keeping this model in mind when developing its trainings. (4) Utah, Florida, Maryland, Kentucky, South Dakota, and Montana have existing language in state law regarding the lethality assessment program. Additionally, local communities, including the Metro Nashville Police Department, have successfully …
Sponsors
- Matt Van Epps (R, HD-007) · primary sponsor
Latest actions
- : Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- : Introduced in House
Subjects: Crime and Law Enforcement
Common questions
- What is HB10470?
- HB10470 is a bill in Congress (119th Congress): SHIELD for Victims Act of 2026.
- What does HB10470 do?
- In its own words: To direct the Attorney General to develop an evidence-based lethality assessment tool for use by law enforcement with respect to domestic violence and to develop a public awareness campaign with respect to resources for victims of domestic violence, and for other purposes.
- What is the status of HB10470?
- In committee as of September 16, 2026. Latest action: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary. (September 16, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB10470?
- Matt Van Epps (R, HD-007).
- Where is the official record for HB10470?
- On the Congress website: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/10470
Source: official Congress record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.