S.Amdt. 351
What it does: Adds SEC. ______. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON INCREASING THE CAP ON THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND on page 79, line 22
Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)What it changes
1 change to S.Con.Res. 23
Adds SEC. ______. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON INCREASING THE CAP ON THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND on page 79, line 22
Adds a sectionPrinted pageInserted: SEC. ______. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON INCREASING THE CAP ON THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND.
Inserted: (a) Findings.--The Senate finds the following:
Inserted: (1) The Victims of Crime Act established the Crime Victims Fund which is one of the main Federal sources of money and support for crime victims.
Inserted: (2) The Crime Victims Fund provides funding for--
Inserted: (A) formula grants to States for victims compensation and victims assistance; and
Inserted: (B) discretionary grants.
Inserted: (3) State compensation programs pay directly for medical care and counseling, lost wages, and funerals for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, rape, and homicide.
Inserted: (4) State assistance programs provide services including crisis intervention, counseling, emergency shelter and child care, and emergency transportation.
Inserted: (5) Discretionary grants awarded to organizations fund demonstration projects, training, and other assistance to expand and improve the delivery of services to victims of Federal crimes.
Inserted: (6) The Crime Victims Fund consists of monies collected from criminal fines, forfeited bail bonds, penalty fees, and special assessments collected by the Offices of the United States Attorneys, the United States courts, and the Bureau of Prisons, and does not rely on any tax-generated revenues.
Inserted: (7) The formula to receive funding to compensate victims under the Victims of Crime Act changed in 2002. In that year, the Victims of Crime Act matched 40 percent of the amount that a State spent for victim compensation. In 2003, the percentage increased to 60 percent. However, because of the existence of the cap on the Crime Victims Fund (currently $600,000,000), the increase in victim compensation money has reduced the amount that can be spent on victim assistance. The existence of the cap has resulted in 8 percent less money for victim assistance.
Inserted: (8) The cap on the Crime Victims Fund must be raised to ensure that the same amount is available for victim assistance that was available in fiscal year 2002, an amount equal to $383,000,000. To ensure this, the national victim advocacy groups estimate that the cap should be raised from the current $600,000,000 to $675,000,000 (not including any amounts for the antiterrorism emergency reserve).
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Inserted: (9) Raising the cap on the Crime Victims Fund will not cost any additional expenditures since Congress has capped the Fund for 4 successive years, thereby holding back more than $638,500,000 allocated to the Fund.
Inserted: (b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that the cap on the Crime Victims Fund be raised to $675,000,000.
Original wording
On page 79, after line 22, insert the following:
Read automatically from the Congressional Record. Check the original before relying on it.
As printed
SA 351. Mr. SCHUMER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the concurrent resolution S. Con. Res. 23, setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2004 and including the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal year 2003 and for fiscal years 2005 through 2013; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
On page 79, after line 22, insert the following:
SEC. ______. SENSE OF THE SENATE ON INCREASING THE CAP ON THE CRIME VICTIMS FUND.
(a) Findings.--The Senate finds the following:
(1) The Victims of Crime Act established the Crime Victims Fund which is one of the main Federal sources of money and support for crime victims.
(2) The Crime Victims Fund provides funding for--
(A) formula grants to States for victims compensation and victims assistance; and
(B) discretionary grants.
(3) State compensation programs pay directly for medical care and counseling, lost wages, and funerals for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, rape, and homicide.
(4) State assistance programs provide services including crisis intervention, counseling, emergency shelter and child care, and emergency transportation.
(5) Discretionary grants awarded to organizations fund demonstration projects, training, and other assistance to expand and improve the delivery of services to victims of Federal crimes.
(6) The Crime Victims Fund consists of monies collected from criminal fines, forfeited bail bonds, penalty fees, and special assessments collected by the Offices of the United States Attorneys, the United States courts, and the Bureau of Prisons, and does not rely on any tax-generated revenues.
(7) The formula to receive funding to compensate victims under the Victims of Crime Act changed in 2002. In that year, the Victims of Crime Act matched 40 percent of the amount that a State spent for victim compensation. In 2003, the percentage increased to 60 percent. However, because of the existence of the cap on the Crime Victims Fund (currently $600,000,000), the increase in victim compensation money has reduced the amount that can be spent on victim assistance. The existence of the cap has resulted in 8 percent less money for victim assistance.
(8) The cap on the Crime Victims Fund must be raised to ensure that the same amount is available for victim assistance that was available in fiscal year 2002, an amount equal to $383,000,000. To ensure this, the national victim advocacy groups estimate that the cap should be raised from the current $600,000,000 to $675,000,000 (not including any amounts for the antiterrorism emergency reserve).
(9) Raising the cap on the Crime Victims Fund will not cost any additional expenditures since Congress has capped the Fund for 4 successive years, thereby holding back more than $638,500,000 allocated to the Fund.
(b) Sense of the Senate.--It is the sense of the Senate that the cap on the Crime Victims Fund be raised to $675,000,000.
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Senate amendment submitted
March 20, 2003