Strengthening Protections for Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act of 2025

This bill strengthens protections for people facing domestic violence and stalking. It expands who counts as an “intimate partner” to include someone you are dating now or dated before, not just a spouse or live-in partner. It also covers children of dating partners. A “dating relationship” is described as a serious, ongoing romantic relationship, whether current or recent past.

The bill also creates a new federal rule: if someone is convicted of misdemeanor stalking, they would be blocked from buying or owning guns. Stalking is defined as a pattern of harassment, intimidation, or surveillance that makes a person reasonably fear harm or causes serious emotional distress. These protections also cover a person’s immediate family, people they live with, intimate partners, and even pets, service animals, or emotional support animals.

• Who is affected: People in dating relationships (current or former), their children, stalking victims and offenders, and gun sellers who must follow the new rule .
• What changes: Broader “intimate partner” definition; new federal ban on gun possession for people convicted of misdemeanor stalking; clearer definition of stalking, including threats to family, housemates, and pets/animals .
• When: The text shown does not state a specific start date.