WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.) today praised the U.S. Senate’s bipartisan passage of the “Victims of Child Abuse Act” (VOCAA), which he introduced with U.S. Senator Chris Coons (Del.) to help child victims of violent crimes and aid law enforcement officials who are working to hold perpetrators accountable. To read the text of the bill, click here.
In April 2014, Missouri KidsFirst honored Blunt with the inaugural “Standing with Children” Award in recognition of his legislative efforts to protect Missouri’s most vulnerable children. To view pictures of the award presentation, please click here. Blunt and Coons, who Co-Chair the Senate Law Enforcement Caucus, recently co-authored an op-ed urging Congress to pass VOCAA. To read the op-ed, click here.
“Our state has 22 Children’s Advocacy Centers that serve 7,000 of our state’s most vulnerable children each year by coordinating the investigation, treatment, and prosecution of child abuse cases,” said Blunt. “I was honored to receive the Missouri KidsFirst’s ‘Standing with Children’ Award, and I’m pleased the Senate passed this important bill. I urge my House colleagues to act so we can continue providing safe haven for child abuse victims and help law enforcement hold perpetrators accountable.”
“We have a responsibility to protect our children from violence and abuse,” said Coons. “Though we can’t prevent every tragedy, we can make sure that children and families have the resources they need to heal and obtain justice. Children’s Advocacy Centers bring all of these resources together under one roof for one mission – to deliver justice for children. Demand for these services has only grown since the Victims of Child Abuse Act was enacted more than two decades ago. Children’s Advocacy Centers served close to 300,000 children last year and 1,000 communities still have no access to a center when a child is the victim of a serious crime. I am grateful that the Senate has finally come together to reauthorize this vital program, and look forward to working with my colleagues in the House to get a bill to President Obama for his signature.”
Background on the Bill:
The legislation adopted last night reflects two modifications from the bill approved by the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee last week. The first change is a reduction in the authorized funding level from $22.5 million per year to $20 million per year. This amount matches the most recent authorization level and is $1 million above the current fiscal year’s appropriation. The second modification is new language that will ensure that funds expended via the Crime Victim’s Fund, established under the Victims of Crime Act, are spent only for victim-assistance purposes. The reauthorization bill, which will need to be considered by the U.S. House of Representatives and signed into law by President Barack Obama, will strengthen Victims of Child Abuse Act programs through enhanced accountability provisions, non-profit requirements, and limitations on conference expenditures.