§ 4–515.01. Crime Victims Assistance Fund.

(a) There is established as a nonlapsing, interest-bearing, revolving fund the Crime Victims Assistance Fund into which shall be deposited the funds described in § 4-515(d)(2). The Crime Victims Assistance Fund shall be separate from the General Fund of the District of Columbia and administered by the Office of Victim Services and Justice Grants.

(a-1) The Office of the Chief Financial Officer shall calculate the amount of interest earned by funds accounted for in the Crime Victims Assistance Fund for fiscal year 2003 through fiscal year 2007 and shall deposit that amount in the fund on or before October 1, 2007.

(b) All amounts deposited in the Crime Victims Assistance Fund shall be appropriated without fiscal year limitation to make payments as authorized by subsection (d) of this section pursuant to an act of Congress. All amounts deposited in the Crime Victims Assistance Fund shall not revert to the General Fund of the District of Columbia at the end of any fiscal year or at any other time, but shall be continually available for the uses and purposes set forth in subsection (d) of this section, subject to authorization by Congress in an appropriations act.

(c) Not more than 8% of the total amount of monies in the Crime Victims Assistance Fund in any given fiscal year may be used to pay administrative costs necessary to implement the requirements of this section in accordance with § 4-515(d)(2).

(d) The balance of the Crime Victims Assistance Fund shall be used for outreach activities designed to:

(1) Increase the number of crime victims who apply for direct compensation payments, including victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, or child abuse (abuse counseling, health and mental health services, child advocacy centers, emergency housing, emergency child care, transportation, hospital-based informational and referral services, and family support); and

(2) Improve the intake, assessment, screening, and investigation of reports of child abuse and neglect, and domestic violence.

(e) A plan for spending the funds deposited in the Crime Victims Assistance Fund shall be submitted to the Council for approval before funds are expended.

(Apr. 9, 1997, D.C. Law 11-243, § 16a; as added Oct. 1, 2002, D.C. Law 14-190, § 1302(b), 49 DCR 6968; Sept. 18, 2007, D.C. Law 17-20, § 3012, 54 DCR 7052; Apr. 6, 2023, D.C. Law 24-341, § 102(k), 69 DCR 14698.)

Section References

This section is referenced in § 4-515.

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 17-20, in subsec. (a), substituted “nonlapsing, interest-bearing” for “nonlapsing” and substituted “Office of Victim Services” for “Justice Grants Administration”; and added subsec. (a-1).

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 2 of Victims of Domestic Violence Fund Establishment Emergency Act of 2005 (D.C. Act 16-71, April 25, 2005, 52 DCR 4575).

For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 2 of Victims of Domestic Violence Fund Establishment Emergency Act of 2006 (D.C. Act 16-307, March 2, 2006, 53 DCR 1924).

For temporary (90 day) addition, see § 2 of Victims of Domestic Violence Fund Establishment Congressional Review Emergency Act of 2006 (D.C. Act 16-375, May 19, 2006, 53 DCR 4390).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 3012 of Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Support Emergency Act of 2007 (D.C. Act 17-74, July 25, 2007, 54 DCR 7549).

Temporary Legislation

Temporary Enactment For temporary (225 day) addition, see § 2 of Victims of Domestic Violence Fund Establishment Temporary Act of 2005 (D.C. Law 16-13, July 22, 2005, law notification 52 DCR 7166).

For temporary (225 day) addition, see § 2 of Victims of Domestic Violence Fund Establishment Temporary Act of 2006 (D.C. Law 16-114, June 8, 2006, law notification 53 DCR 5352).

For temporary (225 day) addition, see § 2 of My Sister’s Place, Inc., Grant Authority Temporary Act of 2006 (D.C. Law 16-150, July 25, 2006, law notification 53 DCR 7509).

Short Title

Short title: Section 3011 of D.C. Law 17-20 provided that subtitle B of title III of the act may be cited as the “Crime Victims Assistance Fund and Shelter and Transitional Housing for Victims of Domestic Violence Fund Amendment Act of 2007”.