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The National Center for Victims of Crime e-mails a Public Policy Update
to our members every two weeks. We also post excerpts here on
our Web site, as a service to crime victims and policymakers
nationwide.
November 19, 2009National Center for Victims of
Crime
News and Policy Update
Contents:
1. Federal Update:
a. Laurie Robinson
confirmed as Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Justice Programs.
b. Senate approves CJS appropriations bill.
c. Senate Judiciary Committee approves Human Rights
Enforcement Act of 2009.
d. House passes Cruise
Vessel Safety legislation.
2. State Update:
Wisconsin governor signs bills to protect children.
3. New
Resources:
a. Evaluation finds that Safe Schools/Healthy
Students Initiative significantly improves student safety.
b. Study links childhood physical abuse to arthritis.
Now available online: Materials from the National Training Conference
on Responding to Crime Victims with Disabilities. Copies of handouts and
presentations from workshops at this recent training conference are now
available for download from the National Center's Web site. Topics include
"Working with Victims of Crime Experiencing Mental Illness or Psychiatric
Disabilities," "Recognizing the Forensic Needs of Survivors with
Disabilities," and "The ABC of Autism: Abuse, Behavior, and
Communication." Visit www.ncvc.org/ncvc/main.aspx?dbID=DB_RespondingtoCrimeVictimswithDisabilities168.
1. Federal Update:
a. Laurie Robinson
confirmed as Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Justice Programs.
On November 5, the Senate confirmed the nomination of Laurie
Robinson for Assistant Attorney General (AAG). Ms. Robinson was sworn in
as AAG in the U.S. Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs
(OJP) on Monday, November 9. OJP provides federal leadership in developing
the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice,
and assist victims, and has five component bureaus: the Bureau of Justice
Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of
Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; and
the Office for Victims of Crime. Ms. Robinson previously served as the AAG
of OJP from 1993 to February 2000.
b. Senate
approves CJS appropriations bill.
On November 5, the full Senate
passed the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies (CJS)
appropriations bill for FY 2010. The bill would set the VOCA cap for 2010
at $705 million. Programs authorized under the Violence Against Women Act
would largely be funded at FY 2009 levels. A few programs would receive
increases under the Senate bill: STOP funding would increase from $169.7
million to $180 million; funding for civil legal assistance for victims
would increase from $37 million to $45 million; and funding for the Sexual
Assault Services Program would increase from $11 million to $15 million.
The bill will now proceed to conference to reconcile differences with the
House version.
c. Senate Judiciary Committee
approves Human Rights Enforcement Act of 2009.
On November 6, the
Senate Judiciary Committee gave its approval to the Human Rights
Enforcement Act of 2009. S. 1472, introduced by Senators Dick Durbin
(D-IL) and Tom Coburn (R-OK), would establish a section within the
Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice to enforce human
rights laws. Under S. 1472, the Criminal Division will be authorized to
take appropriate legal action against individuals suspected of violating
human rights laws related to genocide, torture, war crimes, or the use or
recruitment of child soldiers. The bill now goes to the full Senate for
consideration. d. House passes Cruise Vessel Safety legislation. On
November 17, the House of Representatives approved the Cruise Vessel
Safety and Security Act. The cruise vessel bill would require ships to
meet certain safety requirements, report certain crimes and incidents,
maintain equipment and materials to perform forensic sexual assault exams,
and ensure that at least one crewmember is certified in crime scene
investigation. The bill would also authorize the U.S. Coast Guard
personnel to act as public safety officers in securing and collecting
evidence of crime on cruise ships. In addition to this action, the House
had previously incorporated the cruise legislation into the Coast Guard
Reauthorization Act, which was passed by the House last month. Read the
floor statements of Representatives Elijah Cummings (D-MD), Joseph
LoBiondo (R-NJ), Doris Matsui (D-CA), John Shadegg (R-AZ), Laura
Richardson (D-CA), Ted Poe (R-TX), James Oberstar (D-MN), Mark Souder
(R-IN), and Harry Mitchell (D-AZ) as printed in the Congressional Record,
starting at http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getpage.cgi?dbname=2009_record&page=H13023&position=all.
Statements are found on pages H13023 - H13026.
2. State
Update: Wisconsin governor signs bills to protect children.
On November 13, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed two bills to
protect children. One bill strengthens the requirements for publicly
sharing information relating to child abuse or neglect. The Department of
Children and Families is now required to publicly release information in
certain cases, including where a child has died or been placed in serious
or critical condition as a result of suspected abuse or neglect, or in
cases that involve aggravating circumstances such as significant violence,
multiple victims, the use or inappropriate or cruel restraints, or
exposure of a child to a dangerous situation. The law also requires
disclosure of cases in which a child who has been placed outside the home
under court order has committed suicide. Previous law permitted, but did
not require, the public release of such information.
The second
bill increases the scope of criminal acts that permanently bar individuals
from becoming childcare providers. Such criminal acts include crimes
against children, most felonies, and lying on a background check. It would
also require childcare providers to undergo a criminal background check
every three months.
The remaining portion of the News and Policy Update is available only to
National Center members.
To learn more about
membership in the National Center for Victims of Crime, visit www.ncvc.org/membership.
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