Vermont victims’ services director warns of funding shortfalls, outlines program priorities to Senate Judiciary

Jan. 15 — Jennifer Pullman, executive director of the Vermont Center for Crime Victim Services, told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that the agency is facing sustained funding pressure and outlined several program priorities for the 2025 legislative session.

Pullman described the center as “a quasi state agency” that is established in statute but whose staff are not state employees. She said the center administers direct services and grants across the state, including victim compensation, a sexual‑assault funding program, restitution services and more than 200 grant awards to local providers.

“The center is a really odd agency,” Pullman said. “We are a quasi state agency. We’re designated in statute as a state agency, but we are not state employees.”

Why it matters: Pullman told the committee that revenue streams that support victim services have declined for years and face new federal reductions. The center expects the largest federal grant it administers — funds from the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) — to shrink by about 40% this year, and several ARPA‑funded grants that currently support local programs will end. Pullman said those cuts threaten network partners and local services across Vermont.

Programs and services

• Victim compensation: Pullman said the center’s victim compensation program is designed to be victim‑centered and requires only a law‑enforcement affidavit asserting probable cause before the center will begin paying certain expenses. “It only depends upon a finding of probable cause that a crime has been committed,” she said. Typical claims include medical and mental‑health expenses, transportation, childcare, emergency housing, crime‑scene cleanup and funeral costs. Pullman said claims are subject to an overall cap and gave an example in which a claimant had $10,000 remaining under that cap.

• Sexual‑assault program: Administered through the compensation program, the sexual‑assault benefit requires that an individual present at an emergency room or to a certified medical professional and obtain a forensic exam. The program can pay for the forensic exam, post‑exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for HIV exposure concerns, STI treatment and up to 20 mental‑health counseling visits. Pullman said the program works with hospitals and insurers so survivors do not have to trigger an explanation‑of‑benefits to family insurance plans.

• Emergency housing pilot: The center has begun working with a national program (referred to in testimony as VeilShare) that allows the agency to pay directly for a hotel room for an individual in need of emergency housing without requiring a driver’s license, credit card or photo ID at check‑in.

• Restitution unit: Pullman reviewed Vermont’s restitution unit, created after 2006 reforms to move collections out of corrections‑led processes. The unit is funded by a 15% surcharge on tickets and convictions (special fund revenue) and can make immediate payments to victims once a restitution judgment is issued. Pullman said the unit routinely advances up to $5,000 to victims and has a roughly 48% collection rate; she contrasted that with an earlier private contractor’s 16% collection rate.

Grants, partners and oversight

Pullman said the center administers hundreds of subgrants and works closely with local partners including child‑advocacy centers, restorative‑justice programs, legal services, disability advocates and domestic‑violence programs. She said the center recently completed a week‑long federal review and routinely conducts needs assessments to inform federal grant applications.

Funding picture and risks

Pullman provided committee figures: the center retains about $100,000 in state general funds for its own operations; roughly $1.6 million to $1.7 million in general‑fund dollars are passed through to community programs. Special funds that support compensation, restitution and domestic‑violence programs derive largely from fees and fines on traffic tickets and criminal convictions, and these special revenues have declined since about 2010. Pullman said VOCA funding in Vermont peaked near $6 million about a decade ago and is now approximately $1.9 million; a projected 40% cut this year would create “really significant potentials” for program reductions.

Policy priorities

Pullman flagged two likely Committee issues:

• Evidence rules for child statements and depositions: Pullman said stakeholders intend to align age thresholds for hearsay exceptions (cited as 12 VSA 804(a) in testimony) with the age threshold used for depositions (Rule 15, cited as under chapter 16). She told the committee that the change responds to brain‑science research and to concerns raised during last year’s legislation.

• Victims’ rights in post‑conviction proceedings: Pullman said the center plans to propose a change to 13 V.S.A. that would grant victims not only the right to notice but also the right to be heard in certain post‑conviction relief matters.

Committee exchange and next steps

Members asked brief clarifying questions about how evidence rules would apply; Pullman noted she expected related bills to be referred to the Judiciary Committee. She also urged committee members to seek additional detail on the center’s budget proposals as the Legislature approaches the budget process.

Pullman closed by offering the center as a resource for committee members seeking information about gaps or needs in local victim services.

Ending

The committee followed Pullman’s presentation with additional business; Pullman and the center’s partners are expected to provide more detailed budget information and bill language as proposals move through the Legislature.