The law, enacted in 1994 and renewed and expanded since, was set to expire Sept. 30. It was put in place, in part, to fund social service agencies that support victims of sexual assault and domestic violence. Considered landmark legislation, it arrived in the aftermath of the 1991 testimony by Anita Hill during Clarence Thomas’ confirmation hearings to be a Supreme Court Justice. Hill alleged that she had been sexually harassed by Thomas. The law was also enacted with the backdrop of the so-called Year of the Woman, when a record number of women ran for and won congressional seats in the 1992 election.