Sexual Assault Services Receives First Time Funding in FY 2008 Appropriations Bill
VAWA Programs Increased by $17.3 million
Sexual assault advocates have reason to celebrate the December 26th signing of the $555 billion Omnibus funding package for FY 2008. For the first time, the Sexual
Assault Services Program will be funded and federal resources for sexual assault victim services will be made available! The first time funding level for SASP is $9.4
million.
January 2008 Includes funding levels for programs affecting sexual
and domestic violence for Fiscal Year 2009.
The bill debated by Congress and ultimately signed into law by the President combined all of the unfinished appropriations for FY 2008, including the Labor, Health
and Human Services and Education (LHHS) and Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) appropriations bills. This means that funding for VAWA and VOCA programs (e.g.,
Rural Grants Program, RPE, SASP, STOP, etc.) and many other programs on which survivors and their children rely including, Head Start, child care, housing assistance,
and home energy aid will be funded through one omnibus spending measure. Overall, VAWA programs administered by the Department of Justice have seen a $17.3
million increase!
While we are thrilled to report that SASP has received funding and VAWA as a whole has received an increase, unfortunately the news is not entirely positive. Many
programs received cuts including the Victim of Crime Act Fund (VOCA), which has been cut by $35 million. Though many Members of Congress supported increases to the
VOCA cap, the pressure from the President to cut funding was just too strong.
Programs within the Labor Health and Human Services budget like the Rape Prevention and Education program and the Family Violence Prevention Services Act (FVPSA)
received no funding increases or cuts, leaving them at the same funding level as last year. Each year, however, all programs have a small percent taken off their overall
budget, called a rescission. This year the rescission for programs in the LHHS portion of the bill was a 1.747% across the board cut which essentially cuts funding to these
programs.
Be Sure to Take Time to Thank the Members of Congress Listed Below Who Were Critical to Ensuring VAWA Increases and Protecting the VOCA Fund
More details on programs receiving increases and cuts are found below:
In addition to SASP being funded for the first time, other programs receiving first time funding include:
Engaging Men and Youth in Prevention - $2.8 million
Services for Youth Victims - $2.8 million
Services for Teens - $2.8 million
Services for Children Exposed to Domestic Violence - $2.8 million
Programs receiving increases include:
STOP grants - $164.5 million (increased by $8.8 million)
Transitional Housing - $17.4 million (increased by $2.7 million)
Services for Rural Victims - $40.4 million (increased by $1.6 million)
Programs receiving cuts include:
Legal Assistance to Victims - $36.7 million (decreased by $2.1 million)
Center for Sex Offender Management - $3.3 million (decreased by $1.6 million)
Grants to Encourage Arrest - $59.2 million (decreased by $3.2 million)
WHAT YOU CAN DO ABOUT CUT TO VOCA
Although we cannot change the outcome of the VOCA cut right now, we need to channel our energy productively to make sure that VOCA is restored next year.
We need your voice! Look for these strategic activities in January:
Document the impact: The National Center for Victims of Crime will be developing a user-friendly survey for advocates and program providers to tell us how the VOCA
cut impacts your programs and victims in your area. NAESV and other organizations will help to distribute the survey nationwide, and the results will be used as evidence
as we fight for VOCA increases in fiscal year 2009.
Call-in: We will be organizing a call-in day for folks to discuss the impact of the VOCA cut and discuss how we can move forward in the future.
Write a letter: We will draft a letter that you can modify and send to your Members of Congress about the importance of VOCA funding.
Talk to candidates: We will supply you with talking points and questions for the presidential candidates. As they move through the primaries, they need to know that
VOCA is a significant issue for the American public.
Thank you for being ready to act in these strategic ways to ensure a stable future for VOCA!
WHO TO THANK:
Please thank the following Representatives and Senators (listed alphabetically by state) who fought tirelessly for increases to VAWA programs and to protect the VOCA
cap. While the list below is presented alphabetically, we ask that you send a special thank you to Rep. Rosa DeLauro for her tireless efforts on behalf of SASP.
Representatives Lois Capps (D-CA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Michael Honda (D-CA), Jerry Lewis (R-CA), Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), Rosa DeLauro
(D-CT), Christopher Murphy (D-CT), Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL), Dan Burton (R-IN), Dennis Moore (D-KS), Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ), James Walsh (R-NY), Ted Poe
(R-TX), Jay Inslee (D-WA), Dave Reichert (R-WA), Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), David Obey (D-WI), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Alan Mollohan (D-WV).
Senators Richard Shelby (R-AL), Joseph Biden (D-DE), Tom Harkin (D-IA), Mike Crapo (R-ID), Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Arlen Specter (R-PA), and
Patty Murray (D-WA) and Robert Byrd (D-WV).
For more information, contact Ellen Fern, National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, at efern@wpllc.net or Ana Ottman at aottman@wpllc.net.
December 2007