The act, which includes provisions ranging from grants for counseling victims to efforts for preventing dating violence, was first passed in 1994 and is again up for reauthorization. The proposed five-year extension received its first Senate Judiciary hearing on Tuesday.

Prior to the law, said Hatch, “domestic violence and sexual assault were under reported and under enforced crimes. I am convinced that VAWA has helped to turn that around. In short, VAWA has contributed to a sea change in our attitudes toward these crimes.”

Hatch - who joins Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Del., as a sponsor - said that in Utah, there are now 22 local coalitions or coordinating councils to address domestic violence, 16 shelter programs and 40 domestic violence programs. He added that 38 separate programs in Utah were funded by VAWA, but that there is still more to do.

Lynn Rosenthal, executive director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence, said the act is working. “Service providers, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges and others in the continuum of services are coordinating their efforts to ensure that victims and their families are independent and safe. But the job is not done.”

The Judiciary Committee, which also heard from the National Sheriff's Association, plans to vote on the act later.

tburr@sltrib.com