The National Domestic Violence Hotline: Operating 24/7/365 free and confidential services to any individual, aged 13 and up, impacted by DV and dating violence across the U.S. and its territories. - In support of hotline services, FVPSA section 313(a) (42 U.S.C. §10413(a)) authorizes the HHS Secretary to award a grant to one or more private entities to provide for the ongoing operation of a 24-hour, national, toll-free telephone hotline to provide information and assistance to adult and youth victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, family and household members of such victims/survivors, and persons affected by the victimization. The Secretary shall give priority to applicants with experience in operating a hotline that provides assistance to adult and youth victims/survivors of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence. In order to ensure the safety of adult, youth, and child victims/survivors of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, and their families, FVPSA grant recipients and subrecipients shall protect the confidentiality and privacy of such victims/survivors and their families (45 CFR § 1370.4). FVPSA grant recipients and subgrant recipients shall not do the following: 1. Disclose any personally identifying information (as defined in 45 CFR § 1370.2) collected in connection with services requested (including services utilized or denied) through grant recipients’ and subrecipients’ programs. 2. Reveal any personally identifying information without informed, written, reasonably time-limited consent by the person about whom information is sought, whether for this program or any other federal, tribal or state grant program, including but not limited to, whether to comply with federal, tribal, or state reporting, evaluation, or data collection requirements. 3. Require an adult, youth, or child victim of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence to provide a consent to release his or her personally identifying information as a condition of eligibility for the services provided by the grant recipient or subrecipient.
