Senate Sends Omnibus Package, Including Shaheen Priorities to Address Violence Against Women, Substance Use Disorder Crisis & More, to President’s Desk

**Shaheen Also Advances over $13 million in Congressional Directed Spending in Support of more than a Dozen Granite State Priorities** 

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement on final legislation passed by the Senate to fund the federal government for fiscal year (FY) 2022. Through her leadership on this subcommittee, Shaheen helps write legislation that invests in important New Hampshire priorities, including funding for key federal programs that respond to the substance use disorder crisis, help domestic and sexual violence survivors, invest in law enforcement programs and much more. The legislation will now be sent to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

“The Senate took important action to deliver for the American people by funding the government through this historic omnibus package. I’m proud I secured funding for key priorities to address challenges that have been exacerbated by the pandemic – including combating sexual and domestic violence, addressing the substance use disorder epidemic and supporting economic recovery efforts. I’m particularly pleased to have secured the highest funding level ever for VAWA programs, which complements Congress’ overdue reauthorization of the VAWA law,” said Shaheen. “Robust funding is also heading to law enforcement as it responds on the frontlines to crises, as well as investments in scientific innovation to advance U.S. competitiveness on the global stage. These provisions make New Hampshire and our nation better prepared to put the pandemic behind us and respond to the challenges ahead. I look forward to President Biden’s signature on this important legislation.”

NH Priorities Secured by Shaheen in FY22 Commerce, Justice, Science & Related Agencies Subcommittee Appropriations Legislation:

Highest Funding Level Ever for Violence Against Women Act Programs   

For the fifth year in a row, Senator Shaheen successfully secured the highest funding level ever for Violence Against Women Act programs, totaling $575 million for the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). This is a 12 percent increase from last year’s funding level and will support training officials, rape prevention programs, domestic violence hotlines, counseling and other health services, women’s shelters and transitional housing. Funding is provided for new initiatives including a restorative justice program and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys to address violence against women in Indian Country.  

Throughout the pandemic, Senator Shaheen has worked to provide more resources and services to domestic violence survivors nationwide. Shaheen recently introduced the bipartisan Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) Reauthorization Act. VAWA is the flagship 1994 law that supports survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking by providing federal resources and technical support for programs that help victims. The 2022 VAWA reauthorization, which is also part of this omnibus legislative package, will expand efforts to combat these crimes by aiding domestic violence prevention and support organizations, protecting survivors and promoting safer communities for women and families.  

Critical Funding for Department of Justice Anti-Opioid Grants   

Shaheen has led efforts in Congress to combat the substance use disorder epidemic through her leadership on this subcommittee, and this year secured $572.5 million to help communities and first responders respond to substance use crises, including opioid addiction and drug trafficking. This is $31 million higher than the FY21 funding level and includes $415 million for Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) grants. These grants support programs like drug, mental health and veteran treatment courts and substance use disorder treatment programs administered by state and local correctional facilities. Last year, Senator Shaheen helped introduce the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery (CARA) Act 3.0 to help combat the opioid epidemic by increasing the funding authorization levels for these programs. Shaheen also secured funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) anti-heroin task force and anti-methamphetamine task force programs.   

This funding builds on Shaheen’s extensive efforts to provide flexibility for treatment providers to use State Opioid Response (SOR) grant dollars to help patients suffering from meth and cocaine dependency, in addition to opioid use disorders. Shaheen’s efforts have led to a more than tenfold increase in federal treatment and prevention funding for New Hampshire. 

Increased Funding to Support Victims of Violent Crimes & Bolstered Legal Services 

A staunch advocate for the Crime Victims Fund (CVF), Shaheen successfully secured $2.6 billion for the fund this year - $585 million more than last year. This fund provides direct assistance and programs to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, human trafficking and other violent crimes. Shaheen is a leader in the Senate fighting in support of survivors. Last year, Shaheen urged fellow lawmakers to overcome partisan politics and pass the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act. After her speech, the Senate approved the measure unanimously and President Biden signed the bill into law. The legislation redirects monetary penalties from federal deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements into the CVF in order to provide continued support for state victim compensation and assistance programs. Through her leadership on the CJS Appropriations Subcommittee, Shaheen has historically bolstered resources for the CVF.   

Shaheen also helped secure $489 million for the Legal Services Corporation, which is the largest funder of civil legal aid in the country with counsel on family law, domestic violence, housing and financial fraud.   

Support for Law Enforcement and to Enhance Police-Community Relations   

Senator Shaheen successfully secured $25.5 billion -- $760 million more than last year -- for Department of Justice law enforcement agencies. This increased funding will allow the hiring of additional agents, deputy marshals, intelligence analysts and other personnel to help keep our communities safe.  She also secured $674.5 million for the Byrne-JAG program, which helps law enforcement agencies in New Hampshire and across the country, strengthens the criminal justice system and bolsters services for victims of crime. Within Byrne-JAG, $382 million will go to support state and local criminal justice systems, an increase of $22 million more than last year. Additionally, Shaheen helped allocate $246 million for COPS Hiring grants, an increase of $9 million from the fiscal year 2021 level. This program supports state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies’ ability to hire, preserve and/or rehire law enforcement officers and increases community policing efforts. 

Senator Shaheen worked to include $201 million for State and Local Law Enforcement Assistance and COPS Office grant programs to support programs that improve police-community relations. This is a 31 percent increase from last year’s funding levels, and will support programs on de-escalation, implicit bias, crisis intervention and training to respond to situations where individuals are mentally ill or disabled.  

Increased Funding for the Economic Development Administration and Trade 

Senator Shaheen secured $373.5 million for the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which awards infrastructure and planning grants to communities around the country. This level is an increase of $24.5 million above the prior year. It’s estimated this funding will generate $3.3 billion in local and private investment and support more than 28,500 American jobs this year. The Senator previously opposed efforts by the Trump administration to reduce or eliminate funding for the EDA, which has recently awarded grants to Granite State communities for a wide variety of projects ranging from flood control infrastructure in Plymouth to economic development projects in the Monadnock region. The EDA funding also includes $4.5 million to assist communities recovering from biomass plant closures. 

Shaheen also secured $1.5 million for the Bureau of Economic Analysis to continue the annual assessment of the economic value of the outdoor recreation industry – a key sector supporting local economies across New Hampshire. This report, which was created as a result of the enactment of the Senator’s Outdoor REC Act, provides a comprehensive assessment of the role that outdoor recreation plays in supporting jobs and economic growth, allowing policymakers to craft legislation to further support the sector. The bill also provides $570 million for the International Trade Administration (ITA), which promotes American exports, supports small and medium-sized businesses and ensures fair trade practices on the global stage. This marks a $29 million increase above fiscal year 2021. 

Taking Care of Federal Government Employees Affected by Directed Energy Attacks

Senator Shaheen built on her progress to ensure that all U.S. personnel and their loved ones suffering from anomalous health incidents (AHI) – also known as Havana Syndrome – get the medical attention they deserve. The bill includes legislative language allowing the Department of Commerce and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to address the medical needs of their employees or dependents who are likely victims of these attacks. Absent this language, neither the Department of Commerce nor the FBI would be permitted to provide funding to assist their employees who are AHI victims. Senator Shaheen has been a leader in supporting American public servants who have incurred brain injuries likely from directed energy attacks. In October, the President signed legislation Shaheen helped lead, the Helping American Victims Afflicted by Neurological Attacks (HAVANA Act), into law.

Investments in Science and to Advance U.S. Space Exploration  

Shaheen secured the largest increase to the National Science Foundation (NSF) in 12 years. NSF is funded at $8.84 billion – $351 million higher than last year’s level. This funding will support U.S. competitiveness in key areas like quantum computing, artificial intelligence and climate science, as well as help build an innovative workforce fueled by a diverse pipeline of scientists and engineers. Shaheen also helped secure $1.23 billion for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to invest in STEM programs that improve competitiveness of domestic manufacturers and strengthen domestic supply chains. Additionally, Shaheen secured $3 million to continue research into the prevalence of PFAS in firefighter personal protective equipment – marking a $1 million increase from last year’s funding. This research is a key component of Shaheen’s bipartisan bill, which was signed into law, that takes important steps to address concerns regarding firefighters’ occupational exposure to PFAS chemicals.  

To support America’s continued leadership in space, Shaheen helped secure $24 billion for NASA. This is $770 million higher than the fiscal year 2021 level and will support climate research, space missions and the scientific operations of the powerful James Webb Space Telescope. The bill also includes funding to support the International Space Station and return humans to the Moon. Additionally, within the $7.6 billion Shaheen secured for NASA Science, $777.9 million is for NASA Heliophysics, an increase of $26.9 million above the fiscal year 2021 level. The University of New Hampshire is a leading heliophysics research institution, with instruments on 16 of 22 operating heliophysics missions.

Support for Ocean Research & Conservation Efforts and Weather Satellites 

Senator Shaheen secured $5.877 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a $447 million or 8 percent increase above the fiscal year 2021 enacted level. This includes $648 million to support NOAA research, including critical research to combat the climate crisis, marking a 5.5 percent increase from 2021. This funding will help coastal communities in New Hampshire and across the nation strengthen their resilience to a changing climate, as well as support ocean health and research. In addition, the bill invests in successful job-creating programs, sustainable economic development and environmental restoration. The bill provides full funding to cover the full cost of at-sea monitoring in the New England groundfish fishery and an increase of $16 million for research and conservation efforts to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale, including $14 million to help defray costs paid by the lobster fishing industry to protect right whales. The bill includes $4.5 million specifically targeted for research related to key New England seafood species, including to study the effects of climate change.  

Additionally, Shaheen helped secure $1.3 billion for NOAA’s weather satellites, which help forecast weather to protect property and economic security for families in New Hampshire and across the nation. One-third of U.S. GDP is affected by climate and weather – from farmers in the North Country trying to protect livestock and crops to climate disasters costing billions of dollars of damage.  

In addition to annual programmatic funding priorities, Shaheen also worked to procure federal support for specific New Hampshire projects through the congressional directed spending process. These are listed below.  

New Hampshire Projects: 

Recipient	Purpose	Funding
Cheshire County Sheriff's Office	Cheshire County Sheriff's Office Radio Communications System	$750,000
City of Keene, NH, Police Department	Keene Police Department Body-Worn and In-Car Camera Systems	$415,000
Durham Department of Public Safety	Durham Radio Communications Infrastructure Upgrades	$900,000
Greenland Police Department	Greenland Police Department Body Camera Upgrades	$70,000
Greenland Police Department	Greenland Police Department Security Technology Enhancements	$15,000
McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center	McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center Planetarium Enhancements	$348,000
Merrimack Police Department	Town of Merrimack Radio Infrastructure Upgrades	$1,472,000
Municipal Alliance for Adaptive Management	Great Bay Estuary Restoration Plan	$1,000,000
Nashua Police Department	Nashua Police Department Interpretation and Translation Services	$95,000
New Hampshire Department of Justice	Statewide Law Enforcement Community Policing Initiative	$500,000
New Hampshire Fish and Game Department	Improving Protections for Endangered North Atlantic Right Whales and Mitigating Regulatory Impacts on U.S. Fisheries	$50,000
NH Department of Safety-Division of State Police	Statewide Digital Law Enforcement Equipment and Technology Training	$1,224,000
Plymouth State University	Technology and Equipment Upgrades	$1,000,000
Strafford County	Strafford County Radio Infrastructure Upgrades	$750,000
Town of Exeter Police Department	Exeter Police Department Body-Worn Camera Training	$232,000
University of New Hampshire	Jackson Estuarine Lab Expansion and Renovation (to address water quality and support for coastal NH communities)	$3,813,000
University of New Hampshire	University of New Hampshire Magnetometer Research and Education Facility	$501,000
TOTAL		$13,135,000

 

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