The Future of VAWA Is in Purgatory

Since the Morrison decision in 2000, VAWA has been reauthorized numerous times with revisions that aim to be more inclusive and intersectional. The act didn't fully protect same-sex couples until 2013. There's still criticism from advocates who say women of color have paid the price for a law focused on criminalization. When the bill expired in 2019, the House passed a new version that's currently stalled in the Senate. It's clear that no version of this law alone will ever make this problem go away.