Contact: Louisa Tavlas

Mobile: 571-527-6403

Email: ltavlas@niskanencenter.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. September 22, 2022 – The Niskanen Center applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for passing H.R. 5768 (the VICTIM Act). We worked with the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Val Demings (D-FL), to develop the legislation, which funds police efforts to solve and deter violent crimes. The bill passed the House 250-178

The VICTIM Act would provide $1 billion in funding over ten years to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to hire, train, and retain detectives and investigators, and improve evidence processing capacity, technology, and practices. The bill would also ensure that victim services programs are sufficiently funded and staffed and that critical resources for victims are accessible and convenient. 

“The nation’s recent homicide spike is a tragedy that demands a policy response, and the VICTIM Act is an important step in the right direction,” says Greg Newburn, Niskanen’s director of criminal justice. “We are grateful to Rep. Demings, House leadership, and every member who voted for the VICTIM Act, which will give vital resources to law enforcement battling violent crime all across the country,” Newburn adds.

A Senate companion to the VICTIM Act, S. 4402, was introduced by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-IL), but the Senate has yet to take up the bill. “The House has done its job, and now we hope the Senate will come together, pass the VICTIM Act, and deliver to the American people a big win for public safety,” Newburn says.

The Niskanen Center is a 501(c)(3) advocacy organization established in 2014 that works to change public policy through direct engagement in the policymaking process.

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