H.R. 6301 — VIVAS Act

This section states congressional findings regarding gender-based violence in Puerto Rico as a public health and human rights crisis disproportionately affecting women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and other marginalized groups; identifies deficiencies in fragmented data collection and the lack of a unified public data system; and recognizes the need for a comprehensive, culturally informed assessment of causes, impacts, systemic responses, and community interventions to inform federal and local policy.

This section directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a comprehensive study on gender-based violence in Puerto Rico. The study must assess (1) prevalence, severity, and types of violence disaggregated by demographic and geographic factors, including methods/patterns (e.g., physical force, coercive control), settings (e.g., home, workplace), and victim-perpetrator relationships; (2) historical and recent trends following natural disasters (e.g., Hurricanes Maria and Fiona), economic crises, and the COVID-19 pandemic; (3) effects of factors such as cultural norms, poverty, gender identity, educational disparities, infrastructure inadequacies, and climate vulnerability; (4) institutional responses and capacity in law enforcement, judiciary, health/social services, shelters, mental health/trauma care, and substance use treatment; (5) barriers to prevention, protection, and justice (e.g., under-reporting, rural inaccessibility); (6) intersections with disasters (e.g., infrastructure collapse, displacement); (7) data infrastructure gaps and recommendations for a publicly accessible system; and (8) public access to femicide data, judicial outcomes, and government accountability. The study must also analyze (1) local organizations' roles in filling systemic gaps, with recommendations for funding, coordination, leadership protection, and disaster-resilient services; and (2) the Puerto Rican government's femicide prevention policies (e.g., education campaigns, budgets), their effectiveness relative to law enforcement reform, survivor services, judicial accountability, and mental health support, including civil society input on gaps. In conducting the study, the Comptroller General must engage local organizations (e.g., women's shelters, LGBTQ+ groups, survivor-led initiatives), academic researchers, and communities through roundtables, listening sessions, research design input, and testimony opportunities.

This section directs the Comptroller General of the United States to publish an interim report on preliminary findings from the study required by section 3(a) and additional elements required by section 3(b) not later than 270 days after the date of enactment of this Act. Not later than 540 days after such date of enactment, the Comptroller General must submit a final report to Congress and concurrently publish it publicly in both English and Spanish that includes (1) all findings from the study required by section 3(a); (2) all additional elements required by section 3(b); (3) disaggregation of data and findings by municipality in Puerto Rico; (4) evidence-based recommendations for enhancing strategies to balance prevention through education with structural reform and direct protections, integrating education into multi-sectoral approaches involving law enforcement, health systems, social services, and emergency management, and building transparent oversight systems (e.g., periodic reporting, public dashboards, independent evaluations, and survivor feedback) with sustained funding and maintenance; (5) mechanisms for ongoing federal and local collaboration; and (6) other policy, funding, data infrastructure, or related recommendations, including options for a unified public data system on gender-based violence in Puerto Rico, directed to federal entities or Puerto Rico agencies as appropriate.