President Biden on Thursday signed a measure supporting service programs for crime victims, hailing the legislation as providing survivors “the help they need to put their lives back together and move toward healing and toward justice.”

       Support our journalism. Subscribe today. arrow-right

       “When someone commits a crime, it’s not enough to bring the predator to justice. We also need to support the victims,” Biden said in remarks at the White House, where lawmakers joined him as he signed H.R.1652, the VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act.

       The measure will provide new revenue streams for the Crime Victims Fund and will increase funding for state victim compensation programs, which can help victims cover the cost of counseling and medical bills, temporary housing and other expenses.

       Story continues below advertisement

       In remarks on the legislation Wednesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said it “will bring immediate relief and resources to those in need, including children.”

       Advertisement

       “Democrats have been working toward this moment for months,” she said, noting that a similar effort last year was unsuccessful. “But with President Biden, we got the job done.”

       Biden noted at the White House on Thursday that in 2019, the compensation funds went directly to 230,000 victims as well as to a range of victims service organizations throughout the country.

       “This bill is going to allow us to make sure that all the fines and penalties that are from federal cases go into the crime victims fund to rebuild this fund, because it’s badly needed,” he said. “That’s going to enable us to provide more help and support to victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, trafficking and other crimes all across America.”