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Current Status/Action News:
FY 2011
The Obama Administration is requesting a 2011 VOCA cap of $800 million, an increase of $95 million over 2010. However, the proposal also includes new and expanded funding for other programs that will reduce the amount of funds that would otherwise be available for state VOCA victim assistance grants:
- Increase funding for United States Attorneys' Office victim witness coordinators: $32.6 million
(compared to $22.4 million in FY 2010; increase number of positions from 170 FTE to 240 FTE);
- Increase funding for FBI victim assistance specialists: $21.4
million (compared to $14.6 million; increase number of positions from 112 FTE to 155 FTE);
- Reduce funding for Federal victim notification system: $5.4 million
(down from $6.4 million in FY 2010); and
- Create a new earmark of $100 million from the Fund "for discretionary grants to aid
victims of domestic violence and violence against women, including grants to support domestic violence shelters, transitional housing assistance, and other services."
Based on current information, it appears that under the Administration's proposals, grants for state VOCA victim assistance grants could be cut by as much as $20 million. A 2011 cap of $867 million would ensure a modest growth in state victim assistance grants.
FY 2010
On Dec. 16, 2009, President Obama signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2010 which includes a VOCA cap of $705 million, a $70 million increase over 2009.
Thanks to all victim advocates who worked very hard to explain to their Senators and Representatives why these funds are so important to providing essential services to crime victims.
It is expected that the Administration's FY 2011 budget proposal will be released sometime in early February 2010
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Documents:
(All documents in PDF format unless otherwise indcated in square brackets.) (rev
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FY 2010 Appropriations
- House FY 2010 Letter to Appropriators (41 signers)
- Senate FY 2010 Letter to Appropriators (30 signers)
- House Letter to President and OMB re: Crime Victims Fund Rescission, 3/10/09
- Letter to President Obama re: FY 2010 VOCA budget, signed by 42 organizations, 2/9/09
- Illinois State Bar Association Resolution, 1/13/09
- Senate "Dear
Colleague" and Appropriators Letters (27 signer),
4/4/08
- House "Dear
Colleague" and Appropriators
Letters (56 signers), 3/17/08
- Sample VAWA, FVPSA and VOCA letter by NNEDV
[PDF][Word]
- NCADV/NAESV Flyer
- Senate Judiciary
Committee DOJ Oversight Hearing, 7/18/06 [RealPlayer]
- Rep. Ted Poe, Co-Chair, Congressional Crime
Victims' Rights Caucus, Floor Statement on VOCA, 2/26/08
- Resolution by Pennsylvania General Assembly
Recommending that Congress eliminate the VOCA cap, 4/7/08.
- Texas CASA Letter to Senators, 3/21/08
- NCJA
InfoLetter, "VOCA Victim Assistance Grants Likely
To Be Cut by $159 Million," 2/15/08
- International
Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) letter, 10/24/07
- Letter by 55
state Attorneys General, 4/1/07
- Contact
group letter, 11/13.07
- ABA letter, 4/21/06
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Media
Coverage:
- "Aid is Cut for Sex-Crimes Victims," New York Times, July 1, 2010
- "Tucson's crime survivors say the legislature is re-victimizing them," KOLD, Tucson, AZ, Feb. 9, 2010
- "Victims advocates could fall victim to funding shortfalls," Lubbock (TX) Online, Mar. 19, 2009
- "Victims assistance group gets support from county," Pittsburgh Live, Mar. 6, 2009
- "Victim/Witness Program facing deficit," Courier Express, DuBois, PA, Mar. 4, 2009
- "Official: Domestic violence resources drying up; victims are going unhelped." newsitem.com, Shamokin, PA, Feb. 21, 2009
- "Shelters hurting from economy," Pottsville (PA) Republican Herald, Feb. 15, 2009
- "County crime victims' assistanceblind-sided by grant money cuts," Silsbee (TX) Bee, Feb. 12, 2009
- "States struggle to fund crime compensation," Associated Press, Feb 8, 2009
- "Area agencies hope for additional funding for crime victims," Midland (TX) Reporter-Telegram, Feb. 1, 2009
- "Irving thrift shop to reopen Friday after receiving grant," WFAA, Dallas TX, Jan. 26, 2009
- "Organization faces funding cuts," Shelby County Reporter, Columbiana,
AL, Oct. 9, 2008
- "North Texas crime victim advocacy groups become victims
of funding cuts," Dallas News, Aug. 31,2008
- "Possible cap on VOCA funds will impact victim-service
providers," NewsItem.com
(Mt. Carmel, PA), Aug. 12, 2008
- "Fed cuts threat to area victim abuse programs," Murfreesboro
(TN) Post, June 22, 2008
- "Cuts
May Hit Victims Advocate," Wetzel
Chronicle, New Martinsville, WV, June 4, 2008
- "Victim's Assistance Program takes hit," The
People's Defender, West Union (OH), May 28, 2008
- "Victim
funds in jeopardy," Erie
(PA) Times, May 1, 2008
- "Help restore important VOCA funding," Hill Country (TX) Times, Apr. 30,
2008
- "Federal funding cuts could devastate rape crisis hot lines, leaders
say," Chicago Tribune, Apr. 24, 2008
- "Federal Budget Cuts
Threaten Help For Rape Victims," CBS2Chicago,
Apr. 24, 2008
- "WRC has more to do, but less to do it with," Scranton
(PA) Times-Tribune, Apr. 14,2008
- "Agency's
family visitation center in jeopardy," Burlington (NC) Times
News, Apr. 11, 2008
- "Organization
experiences funding cuts," Northern
Star Online, DeKalb (IL), Apr. 10, 2008
- "Crime Victims’ Rights
Week an opportunity for action," Letter to Editor, Athens (OH) Post, Apr. 10, 2008
- "Advocates fear proposed budget cuts might
endanger domestic-violence victims," Medill
Reports, Chicago, Apr. 9, 2008
- :Abuse Survivors Face Systemic Struggles
as Resources for Help Dwindle," The
International Women's Perspective, Monterey (CA), Apr. 9, 2008
- "Funding
for crime victims withers," Sioux Falls (SD) Argus Leader, Apr.
8, 2008
- "Potential cuts could jeopardize area's crime
assistance programs," Lancaster
(OH) Eagle-Gazette, Apr. 8, 2008
- "Cuts
in funding haunt shelter," Muscatine (IA) Journal, Apr. 5, 2008
- "Victims’ advocacy
groups troubled by funding cuts," Mt. Vernon (IL)
Register-News, Apr. 4, 2008
- "Council
dealing with budget cuts," Staly
News & Press, Albermarle, NC, Mar. 28, 2008
- "Federal funding cuts force agencies to turn away victims
of domestic violence," Chicago Tribune,
Mar. 28, 2008
- "Wise Options director concerned about potential drop
in federal funding," Williamsport (PA)
Sun-Gazette, Mar. 27, 2008
- "Crime victim
funding slashed," Gloucester
County (NJ) Times, Mar. 26, 2008
- "Federal budget to redirect VOCA money," Tri-County (PA)
Courier-Express, Mar. 21, 2008
- "Victim-advocate
services face deep cuts," Philadelphpia
Inquirer, Mar. 21, 2008
- Column: "No, all children in our county are
not well," commercialappeal.com, Memphis (TN), Mar. 19, 2008
- "Preserve programs
for victims and witnesses," editorial, Cherry
Hill (NJ) Courier Post, Mar. 19, 2008
- "A hand
to hold while weathering life's storms," Time
of Trenton (NJ), Mar 17, 2008
- "Aid slashed for crime victims," Cherry Hill (NJ) Courier
Post, Mar. 17, 2008
- "Area victim assistance programs face steep
aid cuts," Press of Atlantic City (NJ), Mar. 17, 2008
- "HAVIN asks residents to take part in 'call-in
day'," Leader
Times, Kittenanning (PA), Mar. 12, 2008
- "York
County's Caring Unlimited faces closure because of budget
cuts," Portsmouth (NH) Herald News, Mar.
12, 2008
- "Attorney
General Milgram Calls on Congress to Restore Funding
Cut from Front-Line Victim Assistance
and Anti-Crime Programs," Mar. 11, 2008
- "Women's
Group Rallies Against Proposed Cuts," WCSH6.com,
Portland (ME), Mar. 11, 2008
- "State
and federal funding cuts puts domestic violence victims
at risk," Boothbay (ME) Register, 3/7/08
- "Proposed federal cuts threaten D/SAOC," Messenger, Fort
Dodge, IA, Mar. 7, 2008
- "NJ
crime victim programs facing deep cuts," Star-Ledger,
NJ, Mar. 7, 2008
- "Local crisis centers ask
public for more help," Peoria (IL)
Journal Star, Mar. 4, 2008
- "Victims Programs Face Federal Funding
Cuts," WHO-TV, Des Moines, IA, Mar. 3, 2008
- "Let
legislators know you oppose funding cuts," BlueRidge
Online, Henderson, NC, Mar. 3, 2008
- "Homesafe,
In. hit hard by federal grant cuts," Ashtabula,
OH Star Beacon Mar. 1, 2008
- "Domestic violence services facing federal funding cuts," Quad-Cities
Online, Rock Island, IL, Feb. 23, 2008
- "Money
for women victims of crime goes missing," Register-Guard,
Eugene, OR, Feb. 19, 2008
- "Budgets commit violence," Centre Daily Times, Centre, PA,
Feb. 19, 2008
- "Proposed
cuts to federal funds to impact local programs working
to end violence against women," KSBY
(San Luis Obispo, CA), Feb. 11, 2008
- "Women's
Crisis Center sends out SOS," Cincinnati
Enquirer, Feb. 10, 2008
- "Don't
cut VAWA, VOCA funding," Letter to the Editor,
Mason City (IA) Globe Gazette, Feb. 9, 2008
- "Allocation
cutbacks for victims puzzling," Reading (PA) Eagle editorial, Feb. 1, 2008
- "Federal
funding cuts hamper HAVIN," Pittsburgh Leader Times,
Jan. 25, 2008
- "U.S. holds on to funds for crime victims," Reading (PA) Eagle, Jan. 19, 2008
- "U.S.
cuts funding for crime victims," Baltimore Sun, Jan.
14, 2008
- "Victims' Aid is Budget Casaulty," Wall Street Journal, Jan.
8, 2008
- North
Carolina Workers' Compensation Blog, "Congress Cuts
Crime Victims Fund," Dec. 31, 2007
- "Federal Budget Could Mean Less Help for Domestic Violence
Victims," Public Service News, Dec. 26, 2007
- "Victims' fund could get cut," Greensboro (NC) News-Record,
Dec. 23, 2007
- "Grant
cuts hurt service agencies," Lawrence Journel World
(Lawrence, KS), Nov.1, 2007
- "Abuse victims give congressman an earful,"
Anderson (SC) Independent, Aug. 27, 2007
- "How the
Crime Victims Fund survived Bushwhackers," Tulsa
World, Aug. 11, 2007
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Background:
- The Crime Victim Fund helps more than 4 million victims of all types
of crime every year.
- The Fund comes from the collection of Federal criminal
fines; not taxpayer revenues.
- Congress has repeatedly pledged that all amounts deposited
into the Fund would remain available for victim services.
The Victims of Crime Act of 1984
is the Federal government's principle means of providing support
for programs that serve victims of all types of crime. Each year,
Federal criminal fines, forfeitures and special assessments are
deposited
into the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund). These offender generated
revenues -- NOT TAXPAYER DOLLARS -- are used to
support these programs:
- Children’s Justice Act -- to improve
the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases;
- U.S. Attorney’s victim/witness coordinators -- to provide assistance to victims involved in Federal criminal
prosecutions by funding 170 FTE United States Attorney Office victim assistance coordinators;;
- F.B.I. victim assistance
specialists-- to help victims during Federal criminal investigations by funding 112 FTE victim assistance specialists;
- Federal victim notification system -- to provide
automated notification to victims of the status of Federal
criminal investigations and prosecutions and the offender's
status in the Federal prison system;
- OVC discretionary grants -- to support national
scope training and technical assistance and to provide services
to victims of Federal crimes;
- State compensation formula
grants -- to supplement State funds used to reimburse victims
of violent crimes for medical expenses, mental health counseling,
lost wages, loss of support and funeral/burial costs;
- State victim assistance formula grants --
to support direct victim assistance services
-- such as counseling, emergency shelter, rape crisis centers,
help in participating in the criminal justice system.
Approximately 3.8 million crime victims receive these services
by 4,400 agencies annually;
- Antiterrorism Emergency
Reserve -- to replenish a special reserve
to assist victims of domestic and international terrorism
and mass violence. The needs for this reserve is demonstrated
by Minnesota's request for supplemental compensation funding
in response to the Red Lake, MN school shooting
Prior to FY 2000, all of the money deposited
into the Crime Victims Fund
from the collection of Federal criminal fines, forfeitures
and assessments,
was allocated
the
following
fiscal year according to a
formula in the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) statute. Because
of
wide fluctuations
in the amount
deposited,
beginning in FY 2000, Congress
began imposing a limitation or "cap" on the amount
of Fund deposits that could be obligated the following
year.
Fiscal Year |
Prv. Yr. Deposits |
|
|
Fiscal
Year |
Prv. Yr. Deposits |
Cap |
2000 |
$985,185,354 |
$500,000,000 |
|
2006 |
|
|
2001 |
776,954,858
|
537,500,000 |
|
2007 |
|
625,000,000 |
2002 |
544,437,015
|
550,000,000 |
|
2008 |
|
590,000,000 |
2003 |
519,466,480
|
600,000,000 |
|
2009** |
|
635,000,000 |
2004 |
361,341,967
|
621,312,500* |
|
2010 |
|
705,000,000 |
2005 |
833,695,013
|
620,000,000* |
|
|
|
|
* Includes rescissions.
** Does not include $100 million in Recovery Act funding |
Congress said it was delaying use of the
deposits above the cap in order "to protect against wide
fluctuations in receipts into the Fund, and to ensure that
a stable level
of
funding will remain available for these programs in future
years." [Conference Report 106-479] Congress also
amended the VOCA statute to
reflect the preservation of all deposits for future VOCA programs.
The amounts remaining in the Fund are carried
over from year to year to be used when Fund deposits
are less than the next year's cap. Three times since caps were imposed -- in FYs 2002, 2003 and 2004 -- Congress has relied
on this "rainy day reserve" because of insufficient
deposits. However, thanks largely to a handful of very large cases, deposits into the Fund have escalated at unprecedented levels. As a result, the balance in the Fund will continue to grow:
Fund Opening Balance (millions) |
FY |
|
|
FY |
|
2000 |
485 |
|
2006 |
1,307 |
2001 |
1,300 |
|
2007 |
1,333 |
2002 |
1,330 |
|
2008 |
1,730 |
2003 |
1,311 |
|
2009 |
1,852 |
2004 |
1,080 |
|
2010 est |
3,148 |
2005 |
1,261 |
|
2011 est |
4,304 |
This is important because the VOCA statute contains
a rather complicated formula that determines how much each
of the above programs will receive. Under this formula, grants for state VOCA victim assistance programs -- the grants that support thousands of direct victim services -- gets whatever's left over after the other VOCA-dependent programs are funded. As a result, unless the cap is high enough, state VOCA assistance grants are cut as new programs are added or other VOCA-dependent costs increase.
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Contact Congress
Call, email or fax your Congressional delegation
and urge them to SAVE THE FUND by opposing the Administration’s
proposal to rescind the Crime Victims Fund. Find
out how to contact your Senator and Representatives (often
just by entering your zip code) by going to these web sites:
Connect to their offices through this toll-free
number: 1-800-247-2971
or call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.
For media inquiries about VOCA and the Crime
Victims Fund: contact:
NAVAA Executive Director Steve Derene
at voca@navaa.org or call 608-233-2245.
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Last Updated:
July 2, 2010
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