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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                             CONTACT: Lance Lemmonds
July 21, 2021                                                                  llemmonds@usiaht.org
 
 

Bipartisan Congressional Coalition Ensures Crime Victims Receive Restitution

Congress Passes Permanent Fix To Victims of Crime Act

Washington, DC - The U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking (USIAHT) commends the bicameral, bipartisan members of Congress who passed the ​Crime Victims Fund Sustainability and VOCA Fix Act of 2021 ("VOCA Fix Act​") to protect critical service funding for victim services, including victims of sex trafficking. 

"On behalf of all the victim service providers and millions of survivors of crime, we are thankful that Congress has taken appropriate action to prevent cuts to vital funding utilized by states to provide emergency housing, trauma counseling, and other restorative services to victims of crime," said Lance Lemmonds, USIAHT director of government relations and law enforcement training. 

VOCA grants are the primary source of federal funding for thousands of victim service providers across the nation, including programs serving victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and human trafficking. VOCA grants also fund victim compensation, which helps survivors pay medical bills, makes up for missed wages, and, in the most severe cases, helps pay for funeral costs. 

The "VOCA Fix Act​" would require the Department of Justice to deposit all monetary penalties, including from deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements, into the Crime Victims Fund. The bipartisan legislation overwhelmingly passed the U.S. House earlier this year by a vote of 384-38 and yesterday passed the U.S. Senate unanimously 100-0. 

"Upwards of a million innocent American children are systematically raped and abused for profit every year, and VOCA is one of the primary sources for funding for safe home and victim's services programs that serve survivors seeking safe refuge and restorative care," added Lemmonds. 

The VOCA Fix Act was scored as a vote to combat domestic human trafficking as part of the USIAHT Congressional Scorecard. Last year USIAHT released the first-ever scoring of Congress for members' commitment to ending domestic human trafficking and includes: an A-F rating system based on sponsorship and co-sponsorship of anti-trafficking legislation, procedural votes on key anti-trafficking initiatives, and final votes on crucial legislation as identified by USIAHT.

To view USIAHT's inaugural Legislative Scorecard and find out how each member of Congress rates their commitment to ending human trafficking, visit https://usiaht.org/legislative-scorecard/.

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About the U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking
The U.S. Institute Against Human Trafficking is working to end Human Trafficking in the United States through prevention, combating demand, rescuing victims, influencing government policy and providing safe refuge for the restoration of survivors. With offices in Tampa, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Austin, we are addressing the national problem, and also doing so with on-the-ground services.
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