Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. WAGNER. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 909) to temporarily provide additional deposits into the Crime Victims Fund, as amended.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 909

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025''. SEC. 2. DEPOSITS IN CRIME VICTIMS FUND. Section 1402(b)(6) of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (34 U.S.C. 20101(b)(6)) is amended--

(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``or'' at the end;

(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; or''; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

``(C) beginning on the date of enactment of the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025 through fiscal year 2029, sections 3729 through 3731 of title 31, United States Code (commonly known as the `False Claims Act'), provided that--

``(i) amounts necessary to remunerate qui tam plaintiffs as described in subsection (d) of section 3730 of title 31, United States Code, are not available for deposit to the Fund; and

``(ii) amounts necessary to reimburse the United States Government for the damages which the Government sustains from acts described in subsection (a) of section 3729 of title 31, United States Code, are not available for deposit to the Fund.''. SEC. 3. INSPECTOR GENERAL AUDIT.

Not later than September 30, 2028, the Inspector General of the Department of Justice shall submit to the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives, the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate a report containing an audit of the Crime Victims Fund, as established by section 1402 of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (34 U.S.C. 20101). Such audit shall include--

(1) information relating to the sustainability of deposits into the Crime Victims Fund;

(2) the effect of the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-27) on the balance of the Crime Victims Fund, the long-term stability of the Crime Victims Fund, and the use of funds obligated out of the Crime Victims Fund;

(3) the effect of the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025 on the balance of the Crime Victims Fund, the long- term stability of the Crime Victims Fund, and the use of funds obligated out of the Crime Victims Fund;

(4) legislative recommendations for improving the effectiveness of the Crime Victims Fund;

(5) administrative or management recommendations for improving the oversight and administration of the Crime Victims Fund; and

(6) the methodology used to conduct the audit to include--

(A) the data sources relied upon;

(B) any limitations realized during the audit; and

(C) the criteria applied in evaluating the long-term stability of the Crime Victims Fund.

Mr. Speaker, I am beyond proud to rise in support of my bill H.R. 909, the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act.

This bipartisan legislation will provide critical support to over 7 million crime victims throughout every State in this country, without spending a single taxpayer dollar.

Mr. Speaker, across the United States, domestic violence shelters, rape crisis centers, and child advocacy centers are in dire need of support. These organizations serve the most vulnerable in our society: battered spouses, rape survivors, and children, even toddlers who have been sexually abused and exploited.

As elected officials, it is our duty to ensure these victims receive the support, care, and, equally important, the justice they deserve.

Tragically, over the past 8 years, across multiple administrations, the balance of the Crime Victims Fund, or CVF, has plummeted, jeopardizing Federal support for these victims.

This fund does not use taxpayer dollars. It is solely financed by the fines, settlements, and other monetary penalties collected from Federal criminal prosecutions. From 2017 to 2023, the balance of CVF dropped by over 92 percent. It was almost completely wiped out.

Congress attempted to correct this decline in 2021 with the bipartisan VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act, but Federal resources are still not meeting the needs of victims in our Nation.

Child advocacy centers and domestic violence shelters have been forced to triage their services or, even worse, to close entirely.

In 2024, my home State of Missouri saw a $10 million cut, over 40 percent, Mr. Speaker, of its Federal support for victims of violent crime, gone. This is unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, I got to work, and over the past 2 years, I have worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, with law enforcement, with prosecutors, and with victim advocacy groups to craft this legislation and build an overwhelming coalition of support.

Today, with 327 bipartisan cosponsors, this bill, the Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act, will be the most widely supported piece of legislation considered on the House floor so far this Congress. I would like to emphasize that for just a second. With 327 bipartisan cosponsors, this bill is the most widely supported piece of legislation to receive a vote in Congress.

My bill uses nontaxpayer dollars to ensure vital programs can survive and victims receive the assistance necessary to heal, recover, and help law enforcement hold offenders accountable.

For years, the CVF had been financed by criminal monetary penalties, but those resources are no longer sufficient. With my bill, the CVF will also receive, through fiscal year 2029, the unobligated civil penalties collected through antifraud law.

One of the most prominent Federal antifraud laws is the False Claims Act. The False Claims Act allows the Federal Government to sue entities that defraud government programs and seek up to three times the damages. For example, if an entity defrauds the Federal Government out of $1 million, the government can sue that entity for up to $3 million. If the government wins, $1 million is returned to the defrauded agency, up to 30 percent is rewarded to any relevant whistleblower, when necessary, and the remaining leftover funds are unobligated.

The Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act only redirects these leftover, unobligated funds to the CVF. We include specific protections for government reimbursement and whistleblower rewards. Those dollars remain untouched. This bill simply ensures that the surplus damages collected from those found liable for fraud in Federal court are used to support victims of crime.

This temporary infusion of resources will stabilize the CVF, support both victims and law enforcement investigations, while also retaining the fund's original intent of being financed by the legal fines from bad actors, not tax dollars.

This commonsense legislation must pass Congress as quickly as possible because every day that we wait, victims of the most horrific crimes across our country are left in need.
BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mrs. WAGNER. 909.

Mr. Speaker, I note that in 2024, child advocacy centers provided assistance to over 370,000 children nationwide who suffered abuse. That is 370,000 children in one year alone. For those who might not be aware, after a child is tragically exploited or sexually assaulted by a predator, one of the first places a victim is taken is a child advocacy center, or CAC.

At CAC, specialized interviewers are able to work with the child victim to not only make them feel safe and secure but also to get vital information that can be used by law enforcement to identify and arrest the offender. These often horrifying details are then used by our prosecutors, who stand firmly with this legislation, to ensure the predator is put behind bars.

My most recent visit to a CAC was in October last year. I had the pleasure of meeting with the executive director of the Missouri Network Against Child Abuse, Jessica Seitz, and her team at the Union, Missouri, child advocacy center.

The work these incredible individuals do every single day to protect and help children going through unspeakable trauma deserves the highest recognition. I want to ensure that all of them are recognized on the floor of this Chamber for what they do in Missouri and beyond. I also want to recognize all of the CACs throughout the United States that open their doors every day to help those who need it most.

The legislation before all of us today will turn our gratitude into action, Mr. Speaker. We will get these organizations, the amazing people who work there, and the children who rely upon them the resources they so desperately need.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I first thank my co-leads for their help in pursuing and pushing this legislation forward: Representatives Derek Schmidt, who we heard from, and Nathaniel Moran, Stephanie Bice, Jim Costa, and my dear, dear friend across the aisle, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, who I wish could have joined us today for this debate.

I also thank the House Judiciary Committee and the Appropriations Committee, who had a strong hand in this, and Leader Scalise for working with my team to bring this bill to the floor. Of course, I thank Congresswoman Lucy McBath for her tremendous support and her testimony to just the terrible injustice and travesty that she has endured. I thank her for her support and her management of this piece of legislation, H.R. 909, across the aisle.

Through our collaboration, we were able to include strong language ensuring a comprehensive audit of the CVF will be delivered to Congress. The information from this audit will help us do our jobs as policymakers and properly plan for the future of the CVF and avoid another crisis like this.

To the dozens and dozens and dozens of supporting organizations that stood with me in this fight, including the National Children's Alliance, the National District Attorneys Association, RAINN, Covenant House, the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the National Network to End Sexual Violence, and the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys.

Mr. Speaker, our work is not done. We can and must get this bill through the Senate, as we discussed across the aisle, and signed into law. It has been an honor to lead this effort, and I am humbled to have gained cosponsors from well over a majority of the United States House Republican Conference and 75 percent of the entire House of Representatives.

This could not have been accomplished without dedication, teamwork, and a true get-stuff-done attitude. Representing our constituents in this Chamber is not a job, Mr. Speaker. It is a calling. There is no higher calling than helping the most vulnerable in our society.

I, again, urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, H.R. 909, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source