President’s Budget

February 12, 2018 | Category: VAWA Resources
The President’s budget was released earlier today.  You can find the complete budget on the OMB website at.

I have included below, part of an addendum that provides important information about funding for VAWA through the Department of Justice.

Agency: DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Subcommittee: Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies
Offsets Removed: $12,491,000,000
The addendum would eliminate the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) change in a mandatory program (CHIMP) and the associated discretionary offset. Going forward, eliminating the CVF CHIMP requires a modification of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984. First, the Administration would propose to establish a $2.3 billion annual funding level for the CVF; providing a definite funding level would eliminate the need to consider an annual CHIMP. 
 
To ensure long-term financial solvency, current balances would remain in the CVF to act as a reserve in the event that receipts in any year are insufficient to cover authorized program costs. Second, the Administration would propose to cap receipts into the fund at $2.5 billion—receipts received in any year in excess of this amount would be deposited into the General Fund of the Treasury. This would ensure that the Fund does not continue to grow beyond the level necessary to ensure that the authorized level can be supported for the foreseeable future.
 
Third, the Administration would propose to include funding for programs authorized under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) in the CVF. This approach is consistent with recent appropriations. These programs would also benefit from increased certainty. The FY 2019 Budget proposed to fund VAWA and other Department of Justice (DOJ) victim related programs through a transfer from the CVF; this addendum would fund VAWA programs through a mandatory appropriation from the CVF and the other DOJ grant programs through direct discretionary appropriations. 
 
Discretionary savings achieved through this proposal would be reallocated to partially restore cancellations included in the FY 2019 Budget for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Construction account ($250 million) and the Working Capital Fund ($76 million). Further, an additional $10 million would be provided to the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Second Chance Act Program to support efforts by state, local, and tribal corrections and public safety agencies to implement and improve prisoner re-entry programs with the goal of reducing recidivism and increasing public safety. 
 
An additional $70 million would be provided to the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants program to support state and local criminal justice systems through flexible, multi-purpose formula grants that support law enforcement, prosecution, drug treatment and enforcement, and corrections. 
 
Finally, an additional $70 million would be provided to tackle violent crime through the Violent Gang and Gun Crime Reduction/Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. This proposal would remove a total of $12.5 billion in offsets from the FY 2019 Budget’s non-Defense discretionary request. 

Thank you,

Barry


Barry Bryant – Executive Director
Association of VAWA Administrators
13200 Falls of Neuse Road
Suite 129, PMB 144
Raleigh, NC 27614
(919) 588-9615
Barry@avadministrators.org