Democratic Women’s Caucus Celebrates VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act Signing

Washington, DC, July 22, 2021

CONTACT: Michelle Moreno-Silva

Today, Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC) Co-Chairs Congresswomen Lois Frankel (FL-21), Brenda Lawrence (MI-14), and Jackie Speier (CA-14), and Vice Chairs Congresswomen Veronica Escobar (TX-16) and Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), celebrated President Joe Biden signing H.R. 1652, the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021, into law.
“We are proud to celebrate the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act becoming law today. This law will bring support, healing, and needed services to victims of violent crimes, the majority of whom are women,” the Members said. “Organizations across the nation that specialize in helping victims have faced cuts to their VOCA funds this past fiscal year, limiting their ability to help save lives. This is devastating as our nation has seen a surge in child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault cases throughout this past year of the pandemic. This law will now ensure that providers get the adequate resources they need so that victims of crime receive the assistance they deserve.”
Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants are the primary source of federal funding for thousands of victim service providers around the country, including programs serving victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, trafficking, and drunk driving. VOCA grants also fund victim compensation, including payments for medical bills, covering lost wages, and paying for funeral costs. These critical grants are not taxpayer funded. Instead, they are paid out of the Crime Victims Fund (CVF), which is funded through federal criminal monetary penalties. Over the past several years, deposits into the CVF have dropped, leading to corresponding cuts in grants to victim service providers. This law will require the Department of Justice to deposit all monetary penalties, including from deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements, into the CVF. This simple fix will prevent future funding cuts that jeopardize programs’ ability to serve their communities. 
H.R. 1652 was introduced by Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee Congressman Jerry Nadler (NY-10). The bill passed the House on March 17, 2021 by a vote of 384-38 and on July 20, 2021 in the Senate by a vote of 100-0.
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