The Sconi

Sen. Tammy Baldwin’s bill, VOCA Fix, was signed into law by the U.S. Senate, which will seek to provide funding for victims of various types of violence. 

The bill was a bipartisan measure, highlighting the importance of such a bill, which was reintroduced by Baldwin in March. 

“I am certainly pleased to see such strong bipartisan support on VOCA, especially to address this funding shortfall, and to say, resoundingly, that this doesn’t use a single taxpayer dollar, this is all appropriately funded by perpetrators,” Baldwin stated in an interview.

The bill was voted in by the Senate on July 20 and will cover a number of needs that victims and families of violent crime may require following a traumatic incident.

This bill comes after funding from VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) has decreased 80% in Wisconsin since 2018, leaving victims and their families without important resources that they require after suffering unimaginable loss. 

Funds will be redirected to the VOCA fund to guarantee that those who need funding will have easy access to it. 

VOCA was signed into law in 1984 and established a fund for victims of crime, which over the years has directed millions to survivors and witnesses of violent crimes.