New federal program funds job training for survivors of gender-based violence
H.R. 10638 — Skills Against Violence Act of 2026 · Filed by Emilia Sykes (D-OH) · Introduced Sep 28, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill creates a new federal grant program to help survivors of gender-based violence (domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, trafficking, and related crimes) find and keep jobs. The Office on Violence Against Women will award grants to states, local governments, tribes, and nonprofits to provide employment counseling, job training, childcare, transportation, legal services, and mental health support to survivors and their dependents. The program authorizes $40 million per year for five years (2026–2030).
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is a federal grant program funding employment services and wraparound support for survivors of gender-based violence. It is a targeted public-benefit program, not a tax provision, deregulation, or private subsidy.
What the text implies
- Program success depends on adequate appropriations; authorization does not guarantee funding, and Congress may appropriate less than the $40M/year authorized.
- Eligibility criteria ('documented history of effective work') may create barriers for newer or smaller nonprofits, potentially concentrating grants among established organizations.
- Reporting requirements focus on outputs (number served, completion rates) but do not mandate long-term employment outcome tracking, limiting ability to assess sustained economic impact.
- Program does not address systemic employer discrimination or workplace safety barriers; it provides individual support but does not require participating employers to adopt survivor-friendly policies.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Survivors of gender-based violence gain direct access to employment services, job training, childcare, transportation, legal aid, and mental health counseling—all barriers to workforce re-entry. The program is designed to reduce economic vulnerability and increase self-sufficiency among a population facing documented employment discrimination and trauma-related barriers.
Who stands to gain
- States and local governments (grant recipients)
- Nonprofit domestic violence and sexual assault service providers (grant recipients)
- Indian tribes (grant recipients)
- Employers participating in job placement activities (potential indirect benefit from trained workfor
Named in the bill
Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), Women's Bureau, Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Administration, Secretary of Labor, Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act
Where it stands
- Sep 28, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Sep 28, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Education and Workforce · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (3,941 characters) on Oct 16, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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