Standing Up for Victims: Bipartisan Solutions to Violent Crime Challenges
NDAA Applauds Bipartisan Congressional Efforts to Protect Victims of Violent Crime
Over 200 Members of Congress Back Vital Legislation Stabilizing the Crime Victims Fund
Arlington, VA — The National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) commends Congress for taking significant steps to address the critical needs of victims of violent crime nationwide. Today, the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act (H.B. 8061, CVFSA) achieved an impressive milestone with the bipartisan support of over 200 members of House of the Representatives, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to safeguarding essential victim services.
The CVFSA redirects funds from the False Claims Act into the Crime Victims Fund (CVF), which has suffered dangerously low funding levels in recent years. By doing so, this legislation will stabilize vital resources that prosecutors and victim service providers rely on to ensure victims receive the support they deserve.
NDAA President Summer Stephan emphasized the urgency of this legislation, stating:
“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.”
NDAA extends its gratitude to Representatives Ann Wagner (MO), Nathaniel Moran (TX), Debbie Dingell (MI), Stephanie Bice (OK), and Jim Costa (CA) for their bipartisan leadership in championing this essential legislation.
A Lifeline for Victims Across America
For decades, the CVF has funded critical services for victims of violent crimes. Programs across the nation depend on CVF resources to provide trauma counseling, safe housing, and legal assistance to survivors. However, the fund’s depletion has placed these services in jeopardy. The CVFSA offers an immediate remedy by directing additional deposits from False Claims Act recoveries into the fund through 2029, ensuring stability in the near term.
While NDAA recognizes the CVFSA as a critical short-term solution, the association continues to call for long-term strategies to secure permanent funding stability for the CVF.
A Call to Action
As Congress enters its final legislative days of the year, NDAA urges swift passage of the CVFSA. This legislation represents a bipartisan effort to prioritize victims of violent crime, and NDAA calls on lawmakers to take decisive action to uphold the rights and dignity of survivors.
For more information about the CVFSA and NDAA’s ongoing efforts to support victims and prosecutors, visit www.ndaa.org.
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.