The rural domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking program (rural program) is authorized by 34 U.S.C. 12341

The Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women awarded Texas Legal Services Center Inc. $700,000 under the Rural Domestic Violence, Dating Violence, Sexual Assault, and Stalking Assistance Program (CFDA 16.589) on October 1, 2025. The source does not specify the services or activities Texas Legal Services Center will deliver through this award. In partnership with the Family Crisis Center, the recipient will implement a survivor-focused project in Austin, Texas. Performance runs through September 30, 2028. The Rural Program funds projects that identify, assess, and respond to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities; establish and expand victim services; increase the safety and well-being of women and children through direct intervention and prevention strategies; and develop or improve sexual assault forensic medical examination or nurse examiner programs. Grantees must employ at least one of five specified strategies, including cooperative efforts among law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim service providers; victim services such as treatment, counseling, advocacy, and legal assistance; community-based education and prevention; sexual assault program development; or programs addressing the specific needs of victims in remote or geographically isolated areas.

Rural program funds are used to support programs that: 1) identify, assess, and appropriately respond to child, youth, and adult victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in rural communities; 2) establish and expand victim services in rural communities to child, youth, and adult victims; 3) increase the safety and well-being of women and children in rural communities, by (a) dealing directly and immediately with domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking; and (B) creating and implementing strategies to increase awareness and prevent these crimes; and 4) develop, expand, implement, and improve the quality of sexual assault forensic medical examination or sexual assault nurse examiner programs. Grantees must use at least one of the following strategies in implementing their projects: 1) implement, expand, and establish cooperative efforts and projects among law enforcement officers, prosecutors, victim service providers, and other related parties to investigate and prosecute incidents of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; 2) provide treatment, counseling, advocacy, legal assistance, and other long-term and short-term victim and population specific services to adult and minor victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking in rural communities; 3) work in cooperation with the community to develop education and prevention strategies directed toward such issues; 4) develop, enlarge, or strengthen programs addressing sexual assault; and 5) develop programs and strategies that focus on the specific needs of victims of who reside in remote rural and geographically isolated areas. Through this new OVW rural program project, texas legal services center, INC., in partnership with the family crisis center, will implement the survivor justice initiative. This victim services project addresses the following purpose areas: 1, 2, and 3 for bastrop, colorado, fayette, and LEE counties in texas. Specific activities will include: 1) providing direct legal assistance to empower survivors and their families to secure immediate protection, stability, and long-term safety; 2) training and technical assistance to strengthen the capacity of rural sexual assault response teams (SARTS); and 3) providing outreach and education CO-created with trusted community leaders to build trust and open new pathways to justice for survivors.