This checklist (click to download) is designed as a tool to assist tribal governments seeking to develop tribal codes that implement special domestic violence criminal jurisdiction (SDVCJ) under section 904 of VAWA 2013.

Tribal governments will likely be amending existing criminal codes, and every tribe faces different circumstances, so tribes will need to work with an attorney to develop codes that are tailored to their unique needs.  This checklist includes citations to existing tribal codes addressing provisions of the new law (Pascua Yaqui Tribal Codes; Umatilla Criminal Code; Tulalip Tribes; Eastern Band Cherokee). 

Draft Tribal Code Development Checklist prepared by the Inter-tribal Working Group to assist tribes as they implement VAWA.

Guide to Revising Codes for VAWA/TLOA (TLPI, 2015), which includes a sample code in Appendix B

The application questionnaires of the five approved pilot tribes include sample tribal code language for implementing VAWA.

Tribal Legal Code Resource: Domestic Violence Laws (TLPI, 2012)

Tribal Legal Code Resource: Sexual Assault and Stalking Laws (TLPI, 2012)

Tribal Legal Code Resource: Model Tribal Sex Offender Registration Code-Ordinance (TLPI, 2011)