During the presidential campaign, Barack Obama promised to "issue a joint report on 'best practices' on reducing domestic violence and disseminate that information to the states."
While his administration has devoted new funds to combat violence against women, there is no sign that a best-practices report is under way.
The economic stimulus bill provided $225 million to support five grant programs run by the Office on Violence Against Women, the part of the Justice Department charged with implementing the Violence Against Women Act. These include funding for prevention programs and transitional housing, but we could not locate any provision authorizing a best-practices report.
Meanwhile, the administration requested $429.7 million in regular funding for the Office on Violence Against Women in fiscal year 2010, up slightly from $429.0 million in 2009. In the final appropriations bill signed by the president, the office actually received a decrease in funds -- $418 million -- though that was more than offset by the increase provided in the stimulus bill.
The most specific progress toward this promise may actually be a pair of bills -- one in the Senate by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and one in the House by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.-- that would expand a "workplace clearinghouse" provision, which compiles best practices for employers on handling domestic violence. The provision would make it possible to include additional victim-services providers and state-based coalitions.
But neither bill has made it out of committee yet. So, while the Obama administration has, on balance, increased the amount of funding for domestic violence programs, there is no evidence that it has begun work on a best-practices report for states. So we rate this promise Stalled.