One of the quiet traps for survivors — especially military-connected survivors — is assuming that a "safety plan" means the same thing everywhere because it doesn't.
Many states allow survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault to break a lease with a protective order, police report, or advocate verification. In those places, military advocates and Victim Counsel can often get it done quickly. But some states are different.
In North Carolina, for example, the law requires a safety plan issued by a "qualifying domestic violence or sexual assault program" — not one just drafted by a military Domestic Abuse Victim Advocate (DAVA). The plan must be dated during the tenancy, and explicitly recommend relocation. A solid military safety plan may still fall short — through no fault of the advocate or the survivor.
And this is precisely why Congress acted.
In the FY2020 NDAA, codified at 10 U.S.C. § 1044e, Congress required that Victim Counsel receive training on the laws and policies of the state(s) in which their installation is located. Not just military law. Because housing law, protective orders, and lease termination requirements are state law.
This becomes even more complicated for National Guard survivors. Title 10, Title 32, drill status — it doesn't change the fact that housing law is state law. Federal service doesn't override state landlord-tenant statutes, and survivors can get stuck when systems don't talk to each other.
The fix isn't complicated, but it is intentional.
Military advocates do what they do best — support, plan, protect — then partner with a local DV/SA program to formally issue the plan when state law requires it. That's what bridging systems looks like in practice.
Military Victim Counsel and Legal Assistance attorneys are welcome to connect directly regarding statutory interpretation or cross-system coordination questions.
— Ruth