National District Attorneys Association Urges Congress to Secure Short and Long-Term Solutions for Crime Victims Fund
Arlington, VA — The National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) calls on Congress to take decisive action during the lame-duck session of Congress and into the 119th Congress to ensure the stability of the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). While recent settlements have temporarily alleviated the critical shortfalls, the need for both immediate and sustained solutions has never been more pressing, with funding dipping dangerously low and an increased reliance on federal court settlements becoming more and more unsustainable.
VOCA funding is a lifeline for crime victims across the nation, providing essential support services through programs that rely on this funding. Despite past legislative efforts, including the bipartisan VOCA Fix of 2021 Act, funding shortfalls continue to threaten victim service programs nationwide.
“We appreciate past and continued efforts by Congress to address the Crime Victims Fund shortfalls, but the time for temporary fixes has passed. Congress must come together to provide a lasting, long-term solution that guarantees the availability of these essential services to crime victims. The moral and legal right for victims of horrific crimes — human trafficking, child abuse, elder abuse, and more — to receive life-saving services, including trauma treatment, safe shelter, and medical care must be a national priority,” said NDAA President Summer Stephan.
Recent Congressional Action
A growing list of bipartisan sponsors in both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate for the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act reflects the urgency of this issue. The latest legislative efforts to bolster the CVF include commitments from Senators Durbin and Murkowski, and 176 Members of the House of Representatives led by Representatives Wagner, Moran, Dingell, and Costa. This measure is crucial to ensuring that prosecutors and victim service providers can continue their work without the constant threat of funding instability. The Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act achieves necessary short-term relief by allowing additional deposits into the CVF through the False Claims Act (FCA) until 2029. While not a long-term or permanent solution to providing stability to VOCA, the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act is the best short-term remedy to ensure stable funding and should be passed by Congress during the upcoming lame-duck session.
NDAA and its members will continue to advocate for both immediate short-term relief to address current funding gaps and a comprehensive long-term solution that secures the future of victim services.
About the National District Attorneys Association:
Formed in 1950, NDAA is the oldest and largest national organization representing state and local prosecutors in the country. With more than 6,000 members representing over two-thirds of the state and local prosecutors’ offices, NDAA is recognized as the leading source of national expertise on the prosecution function and is a valuable resource for the media, academia, government, and community leaders. NDAA’s mission is to provide state and local prosecutors with the knowledge, skills, and support they need to ensure that justice is done and that public safety rights are protected.