On July 20, 2021 the U.S. Senate passed of the House of Representative Bill 1652, the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021 (“VOCA Fix”), with an extraordinary vote of 100 to 0. The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fix bills were introduced in both chambers on in March, 2021 and was passed with broad bipartisan support. VOCA Fix bill, which will secure billions in victim services funding is now headed to President Biden for his signature. The VOCA Fix bill was sponsored by eight House Representatives and eight Senators, with equal representation of the Democratic and Republican caucuses.

The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Fund was created by Congress in 1984 to provide federal support to state and local programs that assist victims of crime. VOCA uses non-taxpayer money from the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) for programs that serve victims of crime, including state-formula victim assistance grants. These funds, which are generated by fines paid by federal criminals, support services to over 6 million victims of all types of crimes annually, through service organizations such as domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, and child abuse treatment programs. The Survivor Resource Network (SRN) joins thousands of victim service providers across the country in celebrating this victory and commends the bipartisan leadership in both chambers for moving quickly to pass the VOCA Fix.

The VOCA Fix, which will save and rebuild a vital federal funding source, will make a world of difference for more than 6,000 local domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, legal services programs, and child abuse treatment programs in every state and territory. Millions of dollars that could have been used to help victims and their families were being deposited to the General Treasury rather than the Crime Victims Fund, putting the lifesaving services these organizations provide in jeopardy. This bill will stave off more drastic cuts by directing deposits to this fund and help local programs as they work to meet the growing demand for services. SRN Executive Director, Tara Tyler said, “This bill will increase funding for our local childrens’ program and its two support groups, free counseling and staffing. We want to thank Senator Lankford for his continued support for nonprofits organizations such as ours in Oklahoma.”

Over the course of the last decade, the Department of Justice has brought fewer federal criminal cases and has instead entered into deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements. The penalty monies from these agreements are deposited into the General Treasury rather than into the Crime Victims Fund , resulting in the loss of billions of dollars. The VOCA Fix addresses this ongoing crisis by redirecting fines and penalties from non-prosecution and deferred prosecution agreements into the CVF, reducing additional catastrophic cuts.

More than 1,700 victim rights organizations, government agencies, and 56 Attorneys General supported this legislative fix. “Victim service providers are responding to higher demand for services from victims facing intensifying violence and desperation,” said Monica McLaughlin, National Network to End Domestic Violence Director of Public Policy. “In the midst of this crisis, thousands of dedicated victim advocates called, emailed, tweeted at, and met with their Members of Congress to urge them to pass the VOCA Fix. We are grateful for their advocacy for survivors. We are looking forward to President Biden taking swift action. As an author of the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in 1994, President Biden has a legacy of over 25 years moving the country forward on domestic violence issues. The VOCA Fix bill advances the work he initiated and will be the first major piece of legislation he will sign that builds on this legacy.”

Survivor Resource Network is a 501(c)3 non-profit and can be contacted by calling 580-762-2873, visiting the website, www.survivorresourcenetwork.org, or the Facebook page at Survivor Resource Network, Inc. - SRN, Inc. For more information on the Victims of Crime Act, visit the National Network to End Domestic Violence website at www.NNEDV.org.