Scoop: Sen. Blackburn revives plan to train beauty professionals about domestic violence
U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn and a bipartisan group of senators re-introduced legislation Tuesday to incentivize domestic violence awareness training for cosmetologists and beauty professionals.
Why it matters: Domestic violence is a deadly problem in the United States. Cosmetologists are positioned to recognize cases of domestic violence and lead victims to help.
Stunning stat: Three women are killed in the U.S. each day by intimate partners.
How it works: The legislation provides federal grants to states that offer domestic violence awareness and training to cosmetologists.
The proposal is modeled on a Tennessee program that launched in 2022. The Tennessee initiative offered training to over 50,000 beauty professionals to recognize signs of abuse, how to respond and what resources are available to help victims.
Between the lines: In addition to Blackburn, Sens. Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois) Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota), Susan Collins (R-Maine), John Boozman (R-Arkansas) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-New Hampshire) collaborated on the legislation, which they timed to unveil before Valentine's Day.
Domestic violence groups, including the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline and YWCA Nashville endorsed the legislation.
"Given their close relationship with their clients, beauty professionals have the unique opportunity to be a first line of defense against domestic violence by identifying the signs of abuse and helping victims and survivors escape dangerous situations," Blackburn said in a statement.
Zoom in: Franklin salon owner Susanne Post discussed the importance of the proposal in an appearance on Blackburn's podcast last year.
"As a survivor of domestic violence, I know firsthand how isolating it is to be in an abusive relationship, how difficult it can be to take steps to leave safely and how important it was for me personally to have someone trusted and close to me that was educated with the signs of domestic violence," Post said.
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