A National Domestic Violence Hotline. Today, President Clinton announces the creation of a national domestic violence hotline. This 24-hour, toll-free national hotline provides crisis assistance, counseling and local shelter referrals to women and men across the country. Hotline counselors are also available for non-English speakers and for people who are hearing-impaired.

"I call on American men and women in families to give greater respect to one another. We must end the deadly scourge of domestic violence in our country."

- President Clinton, State of the Union Address, January 23, 1996

A national problem. Domestic violence causes terror and tears in American homes. Women bruised and battered. Calls for help that are never heard. Emotional scars that can plague our children for a lifetime. But we can make a difference, and we must. The Clinton Administration is working to address this tragic problem through a comprehensive range of initiatives:

The National Domestic Violence Hotline. President Clinton is committed to ensuring that every woman or man has access to information and emergency assistance, whenever and wherever they need it. The Hotline will go a long way toward providing that help. The National Hotline is operated by the Texas Council on Family Violence, through a grant from the Department of Health and Human Services authorized under the Violence Against Women Act.

The telephone number for the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE, and the TDD number for the hearing-impaired is 1-800-787-3224.

The Violence Against Women Act. Passed as part of President Clinton's 1994 Crime Bill, the Act combines tough penalties with $1.6 billion to prosecute offenders and help abused women.

• More prosecutors and COPS. The Act provides monies aimed at hiring more prosecutors. The Department of Justice's Community Oriented Policing (COPS) to Combat Domestic Violence program makes $20 million available to police departments for community policing techniques which fight domestic violence.

• More training. The Act's money will also improve domestic violence training among prosecutors, police officers, and health and social services providers.

• More shelters. The Act provides for more shelters, counseling services, and research into the causes of domestic violence and effective public education campaigns. In 1995, HHS awarded $32.6 million to states, territories and tribes to provide shelter services to victims of family violence and their dependents.

• Tougher laws. The Act establishes new laws that enable victims to sue in federal court and allow law enforcement officers to pursue offenders across state lines.

• Federal coordination. In March, 1995, President Clinton appointed former Iowa Attorney General Bonnie J. Campbell to head the Justice Department's Violence Against Women Office. The office coordinates the Federal government's efforts to implement the Violence Against Women Act.