Rep. Jim Costa Leads Push to Release Federal Funds for Crime Victims and Survivors
WASHINGTON - Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21), co-founder and co-chair of the Crime Survivors and Justice Caucus (CSJC), is leading a push with 33 lawmakers calling on the Trump Administration to immediately release long-delayed funding allocations under the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA).
“With the FY 2025 program year already underway, having begun on July 1, 2025, states still cannot finalize budgets or disburse funds to providers that support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and child abuse,” wrote the lawmakers.
The lawmakers further wrote, “Given the gravity of this national shortfall, and with vital survivor services hanging in the balance, swift federal action to publish state allocation tables and award notices is essential.”
BACKGROUND
The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) was enacted by Congress in 1984 to create the Crime Victims Fund (CVF), which provides financial support to state and local programs that assist victims of crime. Funded entirely by criminal fines and penalties, not taxpayer dollars, VOCA supports approximately 6,500 organizations nationwide, reaching more than six million victims each year.
Since 2019, California has seen a staggering 67% cut in VOCA funding, jeopardizing support for local organizations that assist survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and child abuse. Many San Joaquin Valley providers, including the Marjaree Mason Center in Fresno, Family Services of Tulare County, and Valley Crisis Center in Merced, rely heavily on VOCA dollars to fund emergency housing, 24/7 crisis hotlines, legal advocacy, and trauma counseling.
Other states like Wisconsin have seen their annual VOCA allocation plunge from roughly $44 million to $13 million, forcing shelters to lay off staff, limit beds, and in some cases pause medical-advocacy coverage. In Tennessee, more than 360 victim-service nonprofits have petitioned the state for a $25 million recurring fund after federal reductions left them on the brink of closure. Despite $4.6 billion sitting unused in the Crime Victims Fund, the Trump Administration has yet to release Fiscal Year 2025 allocations, preventing California from disbursing funds to local programs. Without this federal funding, these organizations face the prospect of cutting staff and reducing services.
The following Members of Congress signed the letter: Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (GA-04), Emanuel Cleaver, II (MO-05), Stephen F. Lynch (MA-08), Dave Min (CA-47), Gwen S. Moore (WI-04), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Adam Smith (WA-09), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Sean Casten (IL-06), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Timothy M. Kennedy (NY-26), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Jared Golden (ME-02), Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06), Deborah K. Ross (NC-02), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Bill Foster (IL-11), Emilia Strong Sykes (OH-13), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Johnny Olszewski, Jr. (MD-02), Gabe Amo (RI-01), Marilyn Strickland (WA-10), and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05).
Full text of the letter is available HERE.