Federal Update

Federal Update

Gabrielle Union Testifies at VAWA Hearing
Actress, advocate and survivor Gabrielle Union represented the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence (NAESV) at a June 10 Senate hearing entitled, "The Continued Importance of the Violence Against Women Act." Ms. Union began by asking the entire room to say "sexual assault." As she explained, "you can't solve the problem if you can't say the words." Karen Tronsgard-Scott, the executive director of the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, testified about the needs of rural communities and also pushed for increased funding for the Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP).Catherine Pierce, acting director of the Office of Violence Against Women, made a wonderful statement highlighting all four crimes in VAWA and expressly talked about the need to increase funding for sexual assault victims. It was a great way to start off the VAWA reauthorization hearings.

View an ABC news clip of the hearing.
View witnesses' testimony.

2010 Appropriations SASP:
On June 4th, the House Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee marked up its FY 2010 appropriations bills including VAWA funding. Overall, the bill totals $64.4 billion, an increase of $6.7 billion over last year and $200 million below the President's budget request.

According to Chairman Mollohan's (D-WV) statement, "For programs funded through the Office on Violence Against Women, the bill provides an increase of $11 million, including a $10 million increase for STOP formula grants and a $1 million increase for Sexual Assault Victims Services."

This is the first time that SASP has been mentioned in the Chairman's opening statement about the bill and was a wonderful signal of progress! Adequate funding for SASP is still an upward climb, but NAESV is excited about the fact that SASP was one of two programs to get an increase and to be highlighted in the Chairman's statement. Little is known about the timing of the Senate appropriations process at this point.

Highlights of the FY 2010 CJS Appropriations bill passed by Subcommittee include:
· $13 million for SASP
· $200 million for STOP Grants

VOCA:
The Obama-Biden Administration has requested a 2010 VOCA cap of $700 million, which will represent a major increase in funds available for state VOCA victim assistance programs. Currently, the House also has the $700 million figure in its budget. If enacted, this will be the largest amount of Crime Victims Fund made available to support state victim assistance and compensation programs.

The recently released budget proposal also appears to reverse previous attempts to permanently remove the balance retained in the Crime Victims Fund.

The President's VOCA budget request is just shy of the minimum FY 2010 VOCA cap of at least $705 million that victim advocates have been supporting. That amount would restore state victim assistance grants to the same amount received in FY 2006, including inflation, and take a small step towards meeting the increasing needs of crime victims.

Presidential SAAM Proclamation



Thanks to the efforts of the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape and the National Center for Victims of Crime, President Obama became the first president to issue a proclamation for SAAM.