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Subcommittee reviews $4 million victim‑services request; staff point to LC 449 as potential funding source
Summary
Legislative staff told the Section D subcommittee that a $4 million HB 2 request for victim services would supplement about $3 million in federal VOCA funds, bringing estimated annual victim‑services funding to roughly $5 million; staff also said LC 449 (luxury vehicle tax proposal) is being considered as a revenue source.
Legislative fiscal and Department of Justice staff told the Section D subcommittee a requested $4 million ongoing appropriation in HB 2 for victim services would supplement roughly $3 million in federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding, and could raise total annual victim‑services funding to about $5 million.
"I believe what Natalia Bowser showed us is currently estimating about $3,000,000 coming from the federal government," Walker said. "This would be $2,000,000 a year on top of that so this would make up about 40% of the budget to get them to about $5,000,000 a year." Walker and committee members said federal VOCA funding had peaked in prior years (staff cited an $11 million figure in 2018) and has decreased to around $3 million in recent years.
Senators and representatives asked for clarification about the total victim‑services budget and how the HB 2 request would fit into that total. Staff said they would provide a breakdown, including other shelter-specific and state grant funds administered by the Board of Crime Control.
Committee staff also identified LC 449 as a bill being drafted to increase the luxury vehicle tax and dedicate a portion of that revenue to state special accounts that could support victim‑services funding. "Currently that bill is not very far through the process," Walker said, and staff emphasized the committee could provide general‑fund fallback authority in HB 2 if the LC does not pass.
