VOCA Funding
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Current Status/Action News:
FY 2014
The Administration's requested FY 2014 spending proposal asks to increase the VOCA cap to $800 million (from the 2013 cap of $730 million). Of that:
- $71 million of the increase would be used for specific initiatives:
- $25 million for supplemental victims' services and other victim-related programs and initiatives,
- $20 million for tribal assistance for victims of violence,
- $10 million for victims of trafficking grants focused on domestic victims
- up to 2 percent ($16 million) for research, evaluation or statistical purposes related to crime victims and related programs.
In addition:
- The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is projecting that sequestration in 2014 for mandatory, direct spending programs would result in a 7.3 percent reduction, or $58 million for the Crime Victims Fund (based on the proposed $800 million cap).
- The Administration is projecting that $60 million will be taken from the Crime Victims Fund for DOJ management and administrative costs, further reducing the amount available for the core VOCA-authorized programs.
Taken together, these costs (sequestration, new set asides and M&A), effectively reduces the proposed $800 million VOCA cap to $611 million for the core VOCA-authorized programs.
NAVAA Position
Consistent with its longstanding policy, NAVAA does not support the creation of any new set asides from the Crime Victims Fund. Notwithstanding the merits of the individual proposals or initiatives, NAVAA believes the original and primary purpose of the Crime Victims Fund is to support services to victims of all types of crimes throughout the nation by use of state formula grants. VOCA state victim assistance grants have not even kept pace with inflation, let alone the increasing need assistance services. State assistance grants in 2012 were 30 percent less in real dollars than grants in 2000. We therefore believe that the highest priority should be given to restoring funding for VOCA state victim assistance grants. A 2014 VOCA cap of $1 billion would restore state victim assistance grants to the equivalent in today's dollars to the same funding level as in 2000.
FY 2013
Congress has passed and the President has signed the bill to keep the Federal government operating through September 30, 2013. As passed, the cap on spending from the Crime Victims Fund in fiscal year 2013 was set at $730 million. Although this is a $25 million increase over the $705 million cap in 2012, several factors may have a serious impact on VOCA programs:
- The spending bill incorporates a 5.1 percent sequestration which will reduce the amount available from the Crime Victims Fund by $37.2 million.
- In addition, DOJ grant managment and administrative (M&A) costs assesed against the Crime Victims Fund in 2013 are estimated at nearly $57 million.
- Because of sequestration, the Department of Justice had announced it intended to "donate" grant funds to avoid furloughs in the Bureau of Prison. It now appears that DOJ has found other funds to transfer and that grant funds will not be diverted to other uses.
Management and Administrative Costs (M&A)
In 2012, the Office of Justice Programs allocated VOCA M&A so that some VOCA authorized programs (i.e. Children's Justice Act and state crime victim compensation grants) were not reduced but state victim assistance grants were assessed a disproportionately large share. The 2013 spending bill directs OJP to ensure that its M&A assessment is equitable and, "for programs funded through the Crime Victims Fund that the assessment reflects a fair representation of the share of each program devoted to common M&A costs."If OJP applies the same method in 2013 as it did in 2012, state assistance grants will be approximately $383 million, about the same as 2012 grants. If it uses the more equitable allocation, the amount available for state victim assistance grants in 2013 is estimated to be about $398 million, a 4.7 percent increase over the 2012 grants (remembering that the 2012 grants were an 11 percent reduction from the previous year).
Fewer Victims to be Served
It is possible to provide a rough estimate of the incremental impact that each of these funding reductions—sequestration and M&A—has on the ability of victim service agencies to provide critical assistance to crime victims. According to Office for Victims of Crime’s National Performance Reports (2007-2011), the number of crime victims receiving VOCA-funded services averaged nearly 3.8 million victims of all types of crimes annually. The amount of VOCA victim assistance grants for these funding cycles averaged $370,300,841 annually resulting in an average grant amount of $98.52 per victim served.The sequestration will cut the amount available for state victim assistance grants by $37.2 which, it can be projected, will result in an estimated 377,891 fewer victims of all types of crimes receiving VOCA-funded assistance services attributable solely to sequestration. Similarly, a reduction of $56.9 million diverted for M&A will leave 577,951 victims without these services.
Taken together, sequestration and M&A could diminish the capacity of the nation's victim assistance agencies to provide VOCA assistance-funded services to more than 955,000 crime victims.
| Type of Crime | Average No. of Victims Served Before Cuts | No. Fewer Victims Served After Cuts | ||
Sequestration |
M&A |
TOTAL |
||
| TOTAL | 3,758,622 | 377,891 | 577,951 | 955,843 |
| Child Physical Abuse | 165,336 | 16,623 | 25,423 | 42,046 |
| Child Sexual Abuse | 385,586 | 38,767 | 59,290 | 98,057 |
| DUI/DWI Crashes | 67,514 | 6,788 | 10,381 | 17,169 |
| Domestic Violence | 1,780,227 | 178,984 | 273,740 | 452,724 |
| Adult Sexual Assault | 212,480 | 21,363 | 32,672 | 54,035 |
| Elder Abuse | 46,354 | 4,660 | 7,128 | 11,788 |
| Adults Molested as Children | 70,915 | 7,130 | 10,904 | 18,304 |
| Survivors of Homicide Victims | 90,718 | 9,121 | 13,949 | 23,070 |
| Robbery | 167,945 | 16,885 | 25,824 | 42,710 |
| Assault | 304,414 | 30,606 | 46,809 | 77,415 |
| Other | 467,131 | 46,965 | 71,829 | 118,795 |
Documents
(All documents in PDF format unless otherwise indicated in square brackets.)- NAVAA letter to Appropriators
- 2014 House VOCA letter (55 signers)
- 2014 Senate VOCA letter (17 signers)
- Sen. Crapo and 3 other Senators ask to phase-out of VOCA cap
- VOCA/Crime Victims Fund Backgrounder (2014)
- Impact of Reductions on VOCA Assistance Programs
- State VOCA Assistance Grants, 2006 - 2012
- How VOCA funds are disbursed
- "Ten Things You Should Know about VOCA" (NCVC)
- "VOCA Funding: Victim Advocates Speak Out," NCVC Survey Results
- National Census of Domestic Violence Services (link to www.nnedv.org/census)
- NNEDV Funding Cuts Survey - Executive Summary
-
FY 2013 Appropriations
- National Association of Attorneys General, May 8, 2013 [press release]
- National Alliance to End Sexual Violence
- Senate Letter to CJS Subcommittee, 3/22/12
- House Letter to CJS Subcommittee, 3/19/12
- Victim Advocate Group Letter to CJS Subcommittees, 3/13/12
- Sen. Patrick Leahy Press Statement, 2/13/2012
- NAVAA Statement
Media Coverage
- "Congress Helps Air Travelers, Ignores Victims of Rape and Domestic Violence," Mother Jones, May 6, 3013
- "Sequester could affect federal grants," Rome Times-Journal (Rome, GA), April 14, 2013
- "Women's Resources of Monroe County fundraising gala on as cuts loom," Pocono Record, (Stroudsburg, PA), March 25, 2013
- "Rape Crisis Council of Pickens County could face more budget cuts," IndependentMail.com (Andeson, SC), March 11, 2013
- "Sequestration could hurt Missoula domestic violence victims," KAJ18.com (Kalispell, MT), March 4, 2013
- "Sequestration Impact: Women's trauma services on the chopping block," WMBF News, Florence, SC Feb. 25, 2013
- "State funds for crime victim service organizations at risk," Statesman (TX), Jan. 2, 2013
- "Facing steep budget cut, Hunterdon child advoacy group seeks community help," Dec. 4, 2012
- "Community addresses funding need for victim assault programs," The Daily Iowan, Oct. 31, 2012
- "Services for sex abuse, domestic violence victims see funding cut," The Daily Iowan, Oct. 10, 2012
- "Shelter loses some funding," gosanangelo.com (TX), Sept. 10, 2012
- "Victims support program underfunded, short staffed, coordinator says," greenbaypressgazette (WI), Aug. 31, 2012
- "Jacksonville criminal, legal nonprofits say funding cuts hurt community," jacksonville.com (FL), Aug. 22, 2012
- "Great Escape fundraiser critical for Women," thecabin.net (AR), Aug. 9, 2012
- "Funding issues force Bridges to shut down counseling program for child sex victims," NashuaTelegraph (NH), July 15, 2012
- "Victim-Witness Program Hit Hard by Funding Cuts," GantDaily.com (PA), June 27, 2012
- "Crime agencies jeopardized," AltoonaMirror.com (PA), June 25, 2012
- "Bedford's only shelter closes amid cuts," AltoonaMirror.com (PA), June 20, 2012
- "Clinic for crime victims faces funding problems," KSL.com (UT), June 6, 2012
- "Manatee Glens rape crisis receives 11 percent budget cut," Bradenton.com (FL), May 24,2012
- "State AGs call for victim fund increase," WALA-TV Fox10.com, May 8, 2012
- "Sexual assault center faces financial crisis, possible closure," VictoriaAdvocate.com (TX), May 6, 2012
- "Victim funding cuts a concern," Shamokin (PA) NewsItem, May 4, 2012
- "When Crime Pays," The Crime Report, Mar. 26, 2012
- "Sunshine Shelter Shuts Down," Natchez Democrat, Feb. 23,2012
- "Trauma team helps victims of violence at Boston Medical Center," Dorchester Reporter, Mar. 15, 2012
- "Stopping child abuse," Washington Post Editorial, Feb. 25, 2012
- "Texas crime victims brace for deep cuts to services," Dallas Morning News, Feb. 13, 2011 [reprinted by Texas District & County Attorneys Association]
- "State budget could put services for Angelina County crime victims in danger," KTRE-TV, Lufkin, TX, Jan. 27, 2011.
- "Delayed funding; Group needs help in aiding crime victims," Steubenville (OH) Herald Star, Dec. 18, 2010
- "Abuse cases up, funding down," Montrose (CO) Daily Press, Oct. 14, 2010
- "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
- "Congress Cuts Crime Victims Fund," North Carolina Workers' Compensation Blog, 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
[Top]
Background
- The Crime Victim Fund helps an average of 3.7 million victims of all types of crime every year.
- The Fund comes from the collection of Federal criminal fines; not taxpayers.
- 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 3.5 million - 4 million crime victims receive these services by more than 4,000 agencies annually;
- Management & administration (M&A) - For 2012 and future years, Congress directed DOJ to use grant funds to cover its grant M&A.
- Antiterrorism Emergency Reserve -- to replenish a special $50 milllion 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 |
Cap
|
Fiscal Year |
Prv. Yr. Deposits |
Cap |
||
2000 |
$985,185,354 |
$500,000,000 |
2007 |
|
625,000,000 |
||
2001 |
776,954,858 |
537,500,000 |
2008 |
|
590,000,000 |
||
2002 |
544,437,015
|
550,000,000 |
2009** |
|
635,000,000 |
||
2003 |
519,466,480 |
600,000,000 |
2010 |
|
705,000,000 |
||
2004 |
361,341,967 |
621,312,500* |
2011 |
|
705,000,000 |
||
2005 |
833,695,013 |
620,000,000* |
2012 |
|
705,000,000 |
||
2006 |
668,268,054
|
625,000,000
|
2013 |
2,795,547,045 |
|||
| * 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 continues to grow:
Fund Opening Balance (millions) |
||||
FY |
FY |
|||
2000 |
485 |
2007 |
1,333 |
|
2001 |
1,300 |
2008 |
1,730 |
|
2002 |
1,330 |
2009 |
1,852 |
|
2003 |
1,311 |
2010 |
3,148 |
|
2004 |
1,080 |
2011 |
4,801 |
|
2005 |
1,261 |
2012 |
5,767 |
|
2006 |
1,307 |
2013 |
7,444 |
|
This is important because the VOCA statute contains a rather complicated formula that determines how much each VOCA authorized program area receives each year. State victim assistance grant -- the grants that support thousands of direct victim services -- in effect gets whatever's left over after the other VOCA-authorized 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.
Despite tremendous growth in the Crime Victims Fund balance, lack of adequate VOCA funding means fewer crime victims have access to essential assistance services. In fact, more than 507,000 fewer victims received VOCA funded services in 2010 than in 2007.
| Fiscal Year | VOCA assistance funds* |
No. VOCA Funded Agencies |
No. Victims Served |
| 2006 | 395.9 |
4,397 |
3,813,128 |
| 2007 | 370.6 |
4,201 |
4,116,648 |
| 2008 | 309.0 |
4,358 |
3,780,068 |
| 2009 | 363.8 |
4,020 |
3,526,736 |
| Recovery Act | 47.5 |
568 |
38,307 |
| 2010 | 412.1 | 3,730 | 3,609,421 |
| 2011 | 428.1 | 3,780 | 3,760,235 |
| * in millions | |||
|
Contact Congress
Call, email or fax your Congressional delegation and urge them to fully support crime victims by raising the VOCA cap. Find out how to contact your Senator and Representatives (often just by entering your zip code) by going to these web sites:
- Senators: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
- Representatives: http://www.house.gov/writerep/
- CSPAN: http://www3.capwiz.com/c-span/dbq/officials/
- Congress Merge: http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/index.htm
Connect to their offices through this toll-free
number: 1-800-247-2971
For media inquiries about VOCA and the Crime Victims Fund: contact: NAVAA Executive Director Steve Derene at steve@navaa.org or call 608-233-2245.

