{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://casten.house.gov/media/press-releases/casten-beatty-introduce-legislation-to-financially-empower-women-in-abusive-situations", "Casten, Beatty Introduce Legislation to Financially Empower Women in Abusive Situations", "2024-10-22", "2024", "2024-10", "Democrat", "House", "IL", "Sean Casten", "C001117", "casten.house.gov", "casten", "https://casten.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Today, U.S. Representatives Sean Casten (IL-06) and Joyce Beatty (OH-03) introduced the Financial Empowerment and Protection Act, legislation aimed at removing barriers to the financial insights often necessary for people to safely leave abusive relationships.\n\n\u201cFar too often, we hear stories of victims of abuse who feel trapped in their situation due to limited or no insight into their household finances,\u201d said Congressman Casten. \u201cThis legislation, which came out of one such story from a constituent who called in, aims to take away that lever of control from an abuser, empowering women to make their own financial decisions.\u201d\n\n\"Financial control is often used to trap women in abusive relationships by limiting their economic and physical independence,\u201d said Congresswoman Beatty. \u201cThis bill provides crucial protection by ensuring equal access to and control over shared household finances, empowering women to make decisions for their wellbeing and future. I\u2019m proud to join Congressman Casten in introducing this bill to help protect and support women, especially those in crisis, in building secure, independent lives.\"\n\n\"For too long, financial abuse has been used by abusers to hold on to power and control over women\u2014with laws on the books that allow them to withhold financial information women need to leave abusive relationships and build security of their own,\u201d said Christian F. Nunes, president of the National Organization for Women. \u201cRep. Casten\u2019s bill will finally correct this dangerous gap in our laws, and unlock doors to financial freedom women urgently need.\"\n\n\u201cSurvivors of domestic violence deserve safeguards that sustain their financial stability and security. Maintaining survivors\u2019 access to shared accounts, such as cell phone, utility and mortgage accounts, is one of many policy solutions needed to better preserve their economic well-being,\u201d said Jocelyn Frye, president of the National Partnership for Women & Families. \u201cThe Financial Empowerment and Protection Act would give power back to survivors by providing them with the tools to regain or retain their independence. We are grateful to Representatives Casten and Beatty for their tremendous efforts to support survivors and their families.\u201d\n\n\u201cThis legislation is important for sexual violence survivors in their efforts to regain independence from their abusers,\u201d said Carrie Ward, CEO of the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault. \u201cFar too frequently, survivors are manipulated and coerced by abusers due to financial factors. If approved, this legislation would demonstrate that our society does not tolerate such manipulation and instead provides every opportunity for survivors to regain their independence. Illinois rape crisis centers support Rep. Casten as he introduces this legislation and believe it is another step forward in supporting survivors.\u201d\n\nUnder the Financial Empowerment and Protection Act, mortgage lenders, landlords, utility providers, and childcare providers would be required to offer joint accounts for cohabitating or co-parenting couples. Oftentimes, abusive partners use financial limitations as a method of control to prevent a victim from leaving the situation. This means that people leaving abusive relationships may have limited access to pay their own bills; and may lose access to housing and childcare. Domestic violence shelters report that information about these accounts is commonly withheld during the dissolution of abusive relationships. This legislation aims to circumvent this, allowing victims equal insight into their household finances.\n\nThis bill has endorsements from the National Partnership for Women & Families, National Organization for Women (NOW), the Illinois Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault.\n\nText of the legislation can be found here.\n\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T21:57:20Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://casten.house.gov/media/press-releases/casten-beatty-introduce-legislation-to-financially-empower-women-in-abusive-situations"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8602389134466648, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}