Cal OES warns VOCA funding has fallen sharply; advocates press Legislature to backfill federal shortfall and reauthorize trafficking fund

Cal OES grant managers told the Assembly subcommittee that federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) awards to California have dropped substantially in recent years, reducing the funds available to victim‑services providers statewide.

Gina Buccieri Harrington and Eric Swanson of Cal OES said VOCA allocations to California declined from about $396 million in the 2018 award year to about $87 million for the 2024 award. Cal OES said it estimated a federal award on the order of roughly $224 million would be needed to maintain current statewide service levels; however, because the state provided a one‑time $103 million general‑fund allocation for 2024–25 and reallocated prior unspent funds, Cal OES said that if the federal award in 2025 matched the 2024 award, the state would need approximately $130 million in additional funding to maintain service levels.

Nut graf: The sharp federal decline has prompted providers and advocates to ask the Legislature for state backfill while they wait for a federal allocation; the cap and timing of the federal VOCA distribution remain uncertain, and Cal OES and LAO witnesses said they are awaiting federal agency guidance on the 2025 award.

Legislative Analyst Heather Gonzalez explained the federal distribution process: VOCA receipts rely on fines and penalties (not general tax revenue) and Congress sets an annual cap; states receive allocations under a statutory formula once the cap and distributions are determined. Cal OES and LAO witnesses said the federal award for the current federal fiscal year had not yet been announced and that the cap was roughly $1.9 billion per the latest continuing resolution language, but state staff said allocations were expected in late spring.

Public commenters—survivor services providers and survivors themselves—urged the committee to act. Representatives from Sacramento LGBT Community Center, Valor US and the California Coalition for Youth requested stable state funding (one speaker asked for $176 million per year for five years as an example allocation). Survivors and providers also requested reauthorization of a $30 million augmentation to the Human Trafficking Victim Services Fund; several speakers, including the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) and survivors who credited CAST with lifesaving services, said the funding is critical to maintain long‑term services across providers.

Ending: Cal OES said it will continue to monitor federal announcements and work with the committee and advocates; the committee heard repeated calls for a state funding solution to avoid service disruptions while federal allocations remain uncertain.