The Fairness for Crime Victims Act of 2025 aims to prevent budgetary practices that reduce the funds available to crime victims. It addresses a historical issue where billions of dollars intended for the Crime Victims Fund (CVF), established in 1984 and funded by fines from criminals, have been withheld. Congress has often accounted for these funds without fully disbursing them, leading to over $10 billion being withheld from victims of child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and other crimes since fiscal year 2000. To rectify this, the bill amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 by establishing a new point of order in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. This point of order targets specific budgetary provisions, termed "CHIMPs," which are defined as measures that decrease current or budget year budget authority but do not result in a net decrease in outlays over the full budget period. The point of order will be triggered if such a provision would cause the amount available for obligation from the Crime Victims Fund to fall below the 3-year average amount deposited into the fund, ensuring consistent disbursals. An exception applies if the difference between the CVF's balance and the amount available under the problematic provision is not more than $2,000,000,000. In the Senate, the point of order can be waived or suspended by a three-fifths vote, and if sustained, the offending provision is stricken. For the House, such provisions are simply deemed out of order, with budgetary levels estimated by the respective Budget Committee Chairs.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Budget.
Economics and Public Finance
Fairness for Crime Victims Act of 2025
USA119th CongressS-285| Senate
| Updated: 1/28/2025
The Fairness for Crime Victims Act of 2025 aims to prevent budgetary practices that reduce the funds available to crime victims. It addresses a historical issue where billions of dollars intended for the Crime Victims Fund (CVF), established in 1984 and funded by fines from criminals, have been withheld. Congress has often accounted for these funds without fully disbursing them, leading to over $10 billion being withheld from victims of child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence, and other crimes since fiscal year 2000. To rectify this, the bill amends the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 by establishing a new point of order in both the Senate and the House of Representatives. This point of order targets specific budgetary provisions, termed "CHIMPs," which are defined as measures that decrease current or budget year budget authority but do not result in a net decrease in outlays over the full budget period. The point of order will be triggered if such a provision would cause the amount available for obligation from the Crime Victims Fund to fall below the 3-year average amount deposited into the fund, ensuring consistent disbursals. An exception applies if the difference between the CVF's balance and the amount available under the problematic provision is not more than $2,000,000,000. In the Senate, the point of order can be waived or suspended by a three-fifths vote, and if sustained, the offending provision is stricken. For the House, such provisions are simply deemed out of order, with budgetary levels estimated by the respective Budget Committee Chairs.