Harrisburg, PA – At a Capitol rally yesterday to mark National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis called on the U.S. Senate to take action on federal legislation that would provide more funding for victims’ service providers, which are struggling under the weight of increased demand and cuts in federal funding.
“Over the past two decades, I’ve met with countless survivors and families who’ve experienced the impact of gun violence and other crimes,” said Lt. Governor Davis, who also serves as chair of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD). “The Shapiro-Davis Administration has stepped up to stabilize funding for the state Victims Compensation Assistance Program [VCAP] to ensure it can continue to serve as a lifeline for Pennsylvanians who’ve been impacted by crime and violence. But our work isn’t finished — even one act of gun violence is one too many. That’s why we’re proposing reforms to increase revenues for VCAP, and that’s why we’ve called on Congress to do their part to shore up the federal Victims of Crime Act grants program.”
The federal Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act passed the U.S. House in January, but it’s still awaiting a vote in the U.S. Senate.
In September 2025, Davis sent a letter to Pennsylvania’s 17 representatives and two U.S. senators, urging them to authorize at least $1.9 billion in Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding through this fiscal year’s budget, as well as asking them to sign on to accompanying legislation that would stabilize the federal Crime Victims Fund.
As the Crime Victims Fund balance continues to decline, states have had to cut VOCA grants, and fewer victims are able to receive the support and services they need.
In Pennsylvania, VOCA-funded victim service programs assist nearly 150,000 individuals each year. In addition, PCCD administers VCAP, which provides direct funding to offset expenses like medical bills, counseling, funeral, or relocation costs that burden crime victims.
Each year, the program receives an average of 12,000 claims for eligible expenses. Over the past five years, PCCD has paid more than 67,000 VCAP claims totaling $67 million in eligible expenses for citizens across all 67 Pennsylvania counties.
In last year’s state budget, the Shapiro-Davis Administration secured $9 million in short-term state funding for VCAP to address a shortfall in the fund. This year’s Shapiro-Davis budget proposes to increase the current source by roughly 50 percent, providing more resources for services for victims.
