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VOCA Funding Advocacy

Overview

Victim Services Funding Advocacy

White text on a blue background that says "Thank you, Assemblymember Reyes, Governor Newsom,  and California Senators and Assemblymembers for including $103 million in funding for Crime Victim Services

Federal funding for victim services has declined dramatically, and state action was needed to prevent domestic violence service providers and other victim services from experiencing steep across-the-board cuts to their funding that would directly impact survivors’ ability to access the safety and healing they need and deserve.  

The Governor and Legislature heard us! Thank you all for your collective advocacy. Together we were able to secure one-time funding to stabilize victim services for FY 24-25.

The Partnership joined with statewide organizations dedicated to supporting survivors of crime, advocates, and their communities to form the VOCA Advocacy Alliance.

  • We submitted this budget request letter with nearly 200 organizations signed on. Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes is championing the budget request in the Assembly.  
  • We co-sponsored AB 1956 (Reyes), the Crime Victim Services Stabilization Act, to requires California to support funding for essential crime victim services when there are major reductions in funding. The bill passed through the Assembly Public Safety Committee on a unanimous vote but was held in the Assembly Appropriations Committee and won’t move forward this year.
  • We’re co-sponsoring AB 2432 (Gabriel) to establish a new permanent funding source for crime victim services. The bill has broad bipartisan support and is currently in the Senate Appropriations Committee and will be heard in August.

Background on the Victims of Crime Act Funding & Shortfall

Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding is the backbone to California’s response to crime victims’ needs. VOCA provides funds for an array of critical services and programs that support Californians after they have experienced a crime which includes domestic violence service providers, Rape Crisis Centers, legal assistance, human trafficking services, a range of options to address survivor homelessness, and other vital services. This funding originates from fines and penalties from convictions in federal cases, not from tax dollars. Every year, Congress determines how much to release from the fund. Federal, state, and Tribal victim assistance programs receive formula grants, discretionary grants. More information about the Victims of Crime Act is available here. In recent years, the fund’s balance has declined precipitously, and Congress has reduced the amount released.

In March 2024 Congress finalized the FY 23-24 funding bills and provided $1.353 billion in Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding, which will constitute a roughly $630 million cut to VOCA grants compared to FY 23.

California’s crime victim services received $87 million for FY24, which equates to a 43% reduction from the $153.8 million allocation last year.

Learn about what cuts to the Victims of Crime Act could mean for sexual and domestic violence survivors in California.

VOCA’s Role in Supporting Crime Survivors

As just a small sample of the services that VOCA makes possible in California, in FY 21-22, these funds supported: 

  • A range of housing options for domestic violence survivors, including 354,227 emergency shelter nights provided, with another 15,706 unmet requests for shelter during the year; providing transitional housing 180,628 times; and supporting another 6,882 individuals with housing services through a Housing First approach to connect individuals and families experiencing homelessness quickly and successfully to permanent housing.
  • Services for 46,461 individuals experiencing sexual violence, served by California’s Rape Crisis Centers. 
  • Culturally appropriate victim services for 42,184 unserved/underserved survivors of crime, and another 4,333 child and youth survivors of crime from unserved/underserved communities, and 866 culturally-rooted therapy sessions provided to Native American children victimized by abuse and/or neglect.
  • 15,156 elder abuse victims receiving comprehensive services
  • Supporting child abuse and neglect survivors, including 1,133 individual counseling sessions provided to children who are victims of sexual abuse and/or sexual exploitation; 8,649 foster youth provided advocacy or accompaniment through the Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) Programs; 14,732 children victimized by abuse and/or neglect plus their family members, and caregivers received comprehensive psychotherapy services; and 16,636 child abuse survivors and their families who received support through victim-centered, trauma-informed forensic interviews, advocacy, direct or referral to therapy/counseling, and referrals for medical exams.
  • 1,138 human trafficking survivors receiving comprehensive services.
  • Providing information about the criminal justice process to 275,270 people.

Source: https://www.caloes.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/Grants/Documents/2023_JLBC.pdf

Updates

Media coverage:

If you have questions, please contact the Policy Team at policy@cpedv.org.