(COLUMBUS, Ohio)—Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today joined Attorneys General from 45 States, 4 Territories, and the District of Columbia in urging Congress to increase the Cap on the Crime Victims Fund. The request was made in a letter sent to the leaders of the House and Senate Subcommittees on Commerce, Justice, and Science.
“With the demonstrated need for increased funding and more than enough money in the Fund, now is the time to raise the cap on the Crime Victims Fund and release additional money for the purpose for which Congress intended,” DeWine and the Attorneys General said in their letter.
The Crime Victims Fund was created as part of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (VOCA) and is funded entirely through collections from criminal fines, special assessments, and other penalties paid by federal criminal offenders. While these funds do not come from taxes, Congress imposes a spending limit on the Fund. State VOCA assistance in 2012 will actually be cut and funded at a lower level than they were in 2006, in large part due to the imposition of new federal management and administrative costs.
The Attorneys General are seeking a 2013 VOCA cap of at least $1 Billion. The fund has a projected balance of $7.4 billion, all in non-taxpayer funds.
The letter comes days before the Ohio Attorney General’s Two Days in May annual conference on victim assistance. The conference will be May 10-11 at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus, and brings together crime victim advocates from around the state.
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Documents
Copy of Attorney Generals' Letter (PDF)
Media Contacts
Dan Tierney: 614-466-3840
Jill Del Greco: 614-466-3840