|
The 110th Congress convened earlier this month with a change of
party control in both the House and the Senate. Senator Patrick
Leahy (D-VT) and Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) are the new
chairs of the Senate and House Judiciary committees, which have
jurisdiction over much of the legislation of interest to the
sexual assault community. According to the National Center for
Victims of Crime, Democrats in Congress have indicated they will
turn their attention to a juvenile justice bill and a possible
omnibus crime package. Stay tuned for legislative updates and
action alerts.
In other federal legislative news, the Rape Prevention and
Education program will likely be funded at Fiscal Year (FY) 2006
levels in FY 2007, according to the National Alliance to End
Sexual Violence. However, funding for the Sexual Assault
Services Program (SASP) is far less certain. SASP is the new
funding stream for direct victim services which was authorized
in the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) of 2005. While money
for SASP was included in both the House and Senate
appropriations bill in the last Congress, these bills were never
completed or passed. As a result, the entire FY 2007 budget is
running on a Continuing Resolution until February 15, 2007 when
the new Congress must act. The new Congress is expected to pass
another Continuing Resolution which would maintain FY 2007
funding at FY 2006 levels, allowing them to focus on FY 2008.
Funding for SASP is much more likely in FY 2008. The first
indication for 2008 funding will be the President’s budget which
is expected to be unveiled the first week of February 2007.
Sources:
Public Policy Update, National Center for Victims of
Crime, January 4, 2007.
Email legislative update from Ellen Fern, Lobbyist for the
National Alliance to End Sexual Violence, December 13, 2006. |
|
