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H.R. 8733119th CongressIn committeeLatest action May 11, 2026Decoded by AI · checked against the record
The plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
Melanie's Law creates federal grants for states whose courts extend protective orders to victims' and partners' family members.
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HR 8733, known as Melanie's Law, establishes a federal grant program encouraging states to let courts issue domestic violence protective orders covering not just partners but also related family members, like parents, children, or in-laws. States must show their laws already allow this expanded coverage to qualify, and can use funds for training, tracking systems, specialized units, and victim services.
State court systems, law enforcement agencies, and domestic violence victim service organizations would receive and use the funding; victims and their extended family members could gain broader legal protections.
States would face new incentives to expand who protective orders can cover, though actual funding depends on future congressional appropriations rather than being guaranteed.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: a House committee is reviewing it. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.