On Thursday, July 22, 2021, Amy L. Solomon, Acting Assistant Attorney General, Office of Justice Programs, and Kristina Rose, Director, Office for Victims of Crime, joined President Biden and Vice President Harris at the signing of the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021 in a historic effort to stabilize the Crime Victims Fund.
Among other provisions, this law—
- Requires funds collected by the Federal Government under deferred and non-prosecution agreements to be deposited into the Crime Victims Fund;
- Clarifies that states may waive a requirement that victim compensation programs promote victim cooperation with law enforcement;
- Allows or requires states to waive matching requirements for Crime Victims Fund grant funds under certain circumstances; and
- Provides the Attorney General with the authority to provide no-cost extensions to all Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) award recipients.
Most importantly, OVC will be able to continue funding essential and lifesaving services to crime victims, which are provided by victim service providers and allied professionals nationwide.
Read President Biden's remarks.
Date Published: July 22, 2021