Emilia Sykes (D-OH)
Skills Against Violence Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is known as the Skills Against Violence Act of 2026. It sets up a gender-based violence survivor workforce program. The Director of the Office on Violence Against Women will give out grants to states, local governments, Indian tribes, and nonprofit groups. These groups must have a history of working effectively on domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking. The money is used to help survivors of violence, abuse, and harassment find and keep jobs. The bill authorizes $40,000,000 for each fiscal year from 2026 through 2030 to fund this program.
Yes· 3 of 12
- Scored +6
Would women be better off under this?
The gender-based violence survivor workforce program primarily benefits women, who statistically represent the majority of survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
- Scored +6
Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated?
The bill establishes a workforce program specifically aimed at supporting survivors of gender-based violence, predominantly assisting women.
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill provides critical financial, employment, and supportive services to individuals and dependents who are often economically vulnerable.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill authorizes $40,000,000 in appropriations for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Employment Assistance: Under Section 2, subsection (b)(1), grant funds can be used for activities that help survivors get jobs. This includes employment counseling, occupational training, job retention counseling, and re-entry counseling, which benefits people trying to rebuild their work lives.
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Outreach Services: Under Section 2, subsection (b)(2) and (b)(3), funds can be used for outreach to make survivors aware of available services and to connect them with employers who support safe workspaces. This helps individuals find secure and supportive employment environments.
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Supportive Services: Under Section 2, subsection (b)(4), programs can provide essential support services such as child care, disability care, elder care, transportation, professional clothing and equipment, legal services, and mental health or gender-based violence counseling. This directly helps individuals overcome common barriers to working.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- The provided text does not contain any explicit mentions of negative consequences, burdens, or potential harms for individuals or groups of people in the United States resulting from this bill.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would women be better off under this? — The gender-based violence survivor workforce program primarily benefits women, who statistically represent the majority of survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill provides critical financial, employment, and supportive services to individuals and dependents who are often economically vulnerable. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Young adults entering the workforce who are survivors of gender-based violence benefit from dedicated counseling and job placement support. Would people with disabilities be better off under this? — Grant funds explicitly support disability care as part of the supportive services provided to survivors.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this narrow the gap between how men and women are treated? — The bill establishes a workforce program specifically aimed at supporting survivors of gender-based violence, predominantly assisting women. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — By assisting survivors in securing employment, occupational training, and supportive services, the bill helps lift vulnerable individuals out of poverty. Does this make child care cost less? — Grant funds can be utilized to provide child care, elder care, and disability care support services for survivors. Is this likely to reduce homelessness? — Providing employment assistance and supportive services helps survivors achieve financial stability, which can prevent housing instability.
- Healthcare
- Does this make mental health care easier to get? — Grant funds can be used to provide mental health counseling and gender-based violence counseling for survivors. Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The program supports essential supportive services, including counseling and disability care, helping survivors access necessary care.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill mandates annual reporting by grant recipients and biennial reports to Congress regarding program effectiveness and survivor outcomes.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill provides grant funding for programs that assist survivors of gender-based violence in securing employment and workforce re-entry. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill authorizes $40,000,000 in appropriations for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030.
- 9/28/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.