Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Safe Shelters for Survivors Act of 2026”.
Safe Shelters for Survivors Act of 2026
A BILL
To prohibit certain sex offenders from entering or using the services of certain domestic violence and homeless shelters, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Limitation on the use of domestic violence and homeless shelters for sex offenders
Prohibition on provision of services or shelter to covered sex offenders—
In general— A covered shelter may not provide any service or shelter to a covered sex offender.
Failure to comply— A covered shelter that fails to comply with the requirement under paragraph (1) shall be ineligible to receive any Federal funds during the following fiscal year.
Prohibition on use of covered shelters—
In general— Except for the purpose of seeking information on non-covered shelters, a covered sex offender may not enter or use the services of a covered shelter.
Notification— A covered sex offender who enters a covered shelter shall, immediately upon entering such shelter, notify any individual operating such shelter that such offender is required to register on the National Sex Offender Registry.
Provision of information— Upon receiving a notification from a covered sex offender under paragraph (2), the individual so notified may inform such offender of—
any non-covered shelter; and
the prohibition in paragraph (1).
Penalty— Whoever, in or affecting interstate commerce, being a covered sex offender, knowingly fails to comply with paragraph (1) or (2) shall be fined under title 18, United States Code, imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.
Effective date— This subsection shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
Definitions— In this section:
Covered sex offender— The term covered sex offender means a sex offender who is required to register on the National Sex Offender Registry under section 113 of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (34 U.S.C. 20913).
Covered shelter— The term covered shelter means a domestic violence shelter or a homeless shelter that receives Federal funds.
National Sex Offender Registry— The term National Sex Offender Registry means the national database established under section 119 of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (34 U.S.C. 20921).
Sex offender— The term sex offender has the meaning given such term in section 111 of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 (34 U.S.C. 20911).
Non-covered shelter— The term non-covered shelter means a domestic violence shelter or a homeless shelter other than a covered shelter.
Homeless shelter— The term homeless shelter means a facility, all or a part of which is used or designed to be used to provide temporary housing for homeless individuals.
Homeless— The term homeless has the meaning given such term in section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 11302).