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VOCA

NNEDV supports raising the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) cap for Fiscal Year 2009 and protecting the VOCA Fund balance from elimination.

The VOCA Fund was created by Congress in 1984 to provide federal support to state and local programs that assist victims of crime.  The VOCA Fund is derived entirely from fines and penalties paid by offenders at the federal level, not taxpayer revenue, and is largely distributed to the states through a formula grant.  The state money funds both crime victim compensation funds and victim assistance grants.

More than 4,400 local agencies from all 50 states depend on VOCA assistance grants to serve over 3.8 million crime victims each year.  VOCA assistance grants provide funding for crisis intervention, counseling, transportation, services for elder victims and victims with disabilities, volunteer coordinators, translation services, needs assessments and other support services that help victims deal with the trauma and aftermath of a crime.  Approximately 50% of VOCA assistance grants at the state level fund domestic violence services.

Fines and penalties paid by offenders at the federal level are deposited into the fund.  Because the deposits vary from year to year, Congress decided to set a "cap" on the fund, limiting the amount of money that can be distributed from the fund in a given year.  The cap is intended to ensure stable funding over time, despite fluctuation in deposits.  There is approximately $2 billion in the fund currently.

Legislative Action

Due to a tough budget battle between Congress and the President, the 2008 VOCA cap was cut by $35 million dollars, from $625 million to $590 million. The President's FY '09 Budget Request proposed to institutionalize the FY '08 cut and called for the elimination of the balance of the VOCA Fund - a $2 billion loss! Fortunately, due to your continued advocacy, Congress resoundly rejected the President's request and have proposed increases to the VOCA cap!

• The U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations Committee passed the Commerce, Justice, Science bill that proposes to increase the VOCA cap to $650 million, a $60 million dollar increase.
  
• The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee passed the Commerce, Justice, Science bill that proposes to increase the VOCA cap to $635 million, a $45 million increase.

Remember, this is just the beginning of the process.  The bills don't become law until they have been passed by each house, molded into a unified bill and then signed by the President.  Check out the Budget and Appropriations Process Overview to get a sense of the timeline.

What You Can Do To Help!

We must continually urge Congress to raise the VOCA cap to at least $717 million and to protect the VOCA Fund from elimination - to ensure that lifesaving programs can continue to reach victims in need!

• Sign-up for NNEDV's action alerts so that you can contact Congress when it is most strategic!

Definitions:

The VOCA Fund Cap - The annual amount distributed out of the VOCA Fund. The cap is set in the Congressional Budget each year.

The VOCA Fund - The balance of money deposited into the fund through fees and fines paid by convicted federal criminals. Currently, the balance of the VOCA Fund is around $2 billion.

VOCA Victim Assistance Grants - Funding distributed by states to victim service providers such as domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, victim assistants in law enforcement and prosecutors offices.

VOCA Crime Victim Compensation - Pays out-of-pocket expenses incurred by victims.

Learn more about VOCA:

• Information about VOCA Need for FY 2009
• National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators (FAQs on VOCA, the Crime Victims Fund, Victim Assistance Grants and Crime Victim Compensation)
• 10 Things You Should Know About VOCA
• VOCA Survey Results