HF 1437

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 02/15/2023 12:13pm

A bill for an act
relating to public safety; increasing funding for crime victim services; establishing
grants for organizations that provide direct services to crime victims; appropriating
money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin DIRECT ASSISTANCE TO CRIME VICTIM SURVIVORS;
APPROPRIATION.
new text end

new text begin $25,000,000 in fiscal year 2024 and $25,000,000 in fiscal year 2025 are appropriated
from the general fund to the commissioner of public safety to increase base funding for
crime victim services for the Office of Justice Programs to provide grants for direct services
and advocacy for victims of sexual assault, general crime, domestic violence, and child
abuse. Funding must support the direct needs of organizations serving victims of crime by
providing: direct client assistance to crime victims; competitive wages for direct service
staff; hotel stays and other housing-related supports and services; culturally responsive
programming; prevention programming, including domestic abuse transformation and
restorative justice programming; and other needs of organizations and crime victim survivors.
Services funded must include services for victims of crime in underserved communities
most impacted by violence and reflect the ethnic, racial, economic, cultural, and geographic
diversity of the state. The Office of Justice Programs shall prioritize culturally specific
programs, or organizations led and staffed by persons of color that primarily serve
communities of color, when allocating funds.
new text end