SECTION 1.
The Legislature finds and declares all of the following:(a) The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), through the Crime Victims Fund, is the largest federal funding source for victim service providers. VOCA funds essential services that crime victims need access to, such as rape crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, child abuse programs, court appointed special advocates, legal assistance, human trafficking services, and more services.
(b) In California, the Office of Emergency Services currently administers these federal funds to nonprofits, tribal, and governmental entities across California.
(c) In the 2021–22 fiscal year, these funds supported all of the following:
(1) A range of housing options for domestic violence survivors and their children, including 354,227 emergency shelter nights, transitional housing for 180,628 individuals, and support for another 6,882 individuals with housing services through a Housing First approach that connects individuals and families experiencing homelessness quickly and successfully to permanent housing.
(2) Services for 46,461 individuals experiencing sexual violence through California’s rape crisis centers.
(3) Culturally appropriate victim services for 42,184 unserved and underserved survivors of crime and 4,333 child and youth survivors of crime from unserved and underserved communities, and 866 culturally rooted therapy sessions provided to Native American children victimized by abuse or neglect.
(4) Comprehensive services to 15,156 elder abuse victims.
(5) Services for child abuse and neglect survivors, including 1,133 individual counseling sessions provided to children who are victims of sexual abuse or sexual exploitation, advocacy or accompaniment for 8,649 foster youth through the Court Appointed Special Advocate program, comprehensive psychotherapy services for 14,732 children victimized by abuse or neglect and their family members and caregivers, support for 16,636 child abuse survivors and their families through victim-centered, trauma-informed forensic interviews, advocacy, direct or referral to therapy or counseling, and referrals for medical exams.
(6) Comprehensive services for 1,138 human trafficking survivors.
(7) Distribution of information about the criminal justice process to 275,270 people.
(d) Due to shifting prosecution styles, the Crime Victims Fund has slowly depleted over the past decade, jeopardizing funding for local direct service providers.