When a federal fund for crime victims’ services was running low on cash several years ago, lawmakers thought they had come up with a financial fix.
A law signed by President Joe Biden in 2021 opened up a new source of money for the fund: criminal penalties and fines paid by companies through out-of-court settlements. The fund had previously been limited to fines and penalties from guilty plea agreements.
“This is 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,” Biden said when he signed the legislation.
