Casten, Beatty, Kiggans Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Empower Women in Abusive Situations
Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Representatives Sean Casten (D-IL-06), Joyce Beatty (D-OH-03), and Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02) introduced the bipartisan Financial Empowerment and Protection Act, legislation to remove barriers to the financial insights often necessary for people to leave abusive relationships safely.
“Far too often, we hear of victims of abuse who feel trapped in their situation due to limited or no insight into their household finances,” said Congressman Casten. “This bipartisan legislation, which came out of one such story from a constituent who called my office, aims to take away that lever of control from an abuser, empowering women in these situations to make their own financial decisions.”
“Financial control is often used to trap victims of abuse and prevent them from moving forward,” said Congresswoman Beatty. “This critical legislation puts power back in the hands of women and men in abusive situations, ensuring equal access to and control over shared household finances. Every individual deserves financial transparency in their romantic relationships, along with the tools to live independently. I’m proud to join Congressman Casten in advancing this bill to empower couples with equal financial rights so that everyone has the freedom to live a secure, independent life if they so choose.”
“Financial control is one of the most common—and devastating—tools used by abusers to trap their victims,” said Congresswoman Kiggans. “When someone can’t access the bills in their own home or the accounts they rely on for housing or childcare, it becomes nearly impossible to leave safely. The Financial Empowerment and Protection Act takes meaningful, bipartisan action to fix that. By ensuring equal access to shared household accounts and removing penalties for leaving unsafe housing, this bill gives survivors a real chance to reclaim their independence and start fresh.”
“Survivors of domestic violence deserve safety, financial stability and broader economic security. As the Trump Administration attempts to defund programs for survivors in its war on diversity, equity, and inclusion, maintaining their access to shared accounts, such as utility and mortgage accounts, is just one way survivors can preserve their economic well-being. Providing survivors with the ability to sever rental agreements without further financial penalties in the event of violence supports survivors’ ability to seek safety,” said Sharita Gruberg, vice president of the economic justice team at the National Partnership for Women & Families. “The Financial Empowerment and Protection Act would give power back to survivors by providing them with the tools to regain or retain their independence. We are grateful to Representatives Casten, Beatty, and Kiggans for their tremendous efforts to support survivors and their families.”
"Too often, survivors fear the financial repercussions of their decision to leave—and every survivor trapped by an abuser deserves the chance to break free," said Stefan Turkheimer, Vice President for Public Policy at RAINN. "The Financial Empowerment and Protection Act will change lives by offering survivors a way out. RAINN is proud to support this bipartisan effort, which provides protections—like equal access to joint accounts and relief from lease termination penalties when fleeing abuse—that help remove barriers to safety and security."
Under the Financial Empowerment and Protection Act, mortgage lenders, landlords, utility providers, and childcare providers would be required to offer joint accounts for cohabitating or co-parenting couples.
Oftentimes, abusive partners use financial limitations as a method of control to prevent a victim from leaving the situation. This means that people leaving abusive relationships may have limited access to pay their own bills and may lose access to housing and childcare. Domestic violence shelters report that information about these accounts is commonly withheld during the dissolution of abusive relationships.
The Financial Empowerment and Protection Act would circumvent this, allowing victims equal insight into their household finances.
This bill is endorsed by the National Organization for Women, the National Partnership for Women & Families, and RAINN.
Text of the legislation can be found here. A section-by-section summary of the legislation can be found here.
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