§20101. Crime Victims Fund
(a) Establishment
There is created in the Treasury a separate account to be known as the Crime Victims Fund (hereinafter in this subchapter referred to as the "Fund").
(b) Fines deposited in Fund; penalties; forfeited appearance bonds
Except as limited by subsection (c), there shall be deposited in the Fund-
(1) all fines that are collected from persons convicted of offenses against the United States except-
(A) fines available for use by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to-
(i) section 11(d) of the Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1540(d)); and
(ii) section 6(d) of the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 (16 U.S.C. 3375(d)); and
(B) fines to be paid into-
(i) the railroad unemployment insurance account pursuant to the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act (45 U.S.C. 351 et seq.);
(ii) the Postal Service Fund pursuant to sections 2601(a)(2) and 2003 of title 39 and for the purposes set forth in section 404(a)(7) of title 39;
(iii) the navigable waters revolving fund pursuant to section 311 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1321); and
(iv) county public school funds pursuant to section 3613 of title 18;
(2) penalty assessments collected under section 3013 of title 18; 1
(3) the proceeds of forfeited appearance bonds, bail bonds, and collateral collected under section 3146 of title 18;
(4) any money ordered to be paid into the Fund under section 3671(c)(2) of title 18;
(5) any gifts, bequests, or donations to the Fund from private entities or individuals, which the Director is hereby authorized to accept for deposit into the Fund, except that the Director is not hereby authorized to accept any such gift, bequest, or donation that-
(A) attaches conditions inconsistent with applicable laws or regulations; or
(B) is conditioned upon or would require the expenditure of appropriated funds that are not available to the Office for Victims of Crime; and
(6) any funds that would otherwise be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury collected pursuant to-
(A) a deferred prosecution agreement; or
(B) a non-prosecution agreement.
(c) Retention of sums in Fund; availability for expenditure without fiscal year limitation
Sums deposited in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be available for expenditure under this subchapter for grants under this subchapter without fiscal year limitation. Notwithstanding subsection (d)(5), all sums deposited in the Fund in any fiscal year that are not made available for obligation by Congress in the subsequent fiscal year shall remain in the Fund for obligation in future fiscal years, without fiscal year limitation.
(d) Availability for judicial branch administrative costs; grant program percentages
The Fund shall be available as follows:
(1) Repealed.
(2)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), the first $10,000,000 deposited in the Fund shall be available for grants under section 20104 of this title.
(B)(i) For any fiscal year for which the amount deposited in the Fund is greater than the amount deposited in the Fund for fiscal year 1998, the $10,000,000 referred to in subparagraph (A) plus an amount equal to 50 percent of the increase in the amount from fiscal year 1998 shall be available for grants under section 20104 of this title.
(ii) Amounts available under this subparagraph for any fiscal year shall not exceed $20,000,000.
(3)(A) Of the sums remaining in the Fund in any particular fiscal year after compliance with paragraph (2), such sums as may be necessary shall be available only for-
(i) the United States Attorneys Offices and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to provide and improve services for the benefit of crime victims in the Federal criminal justice system (as described in section 3771 or section 3772, as it relates to direct services, of title 18 and section 20141 of this title) through victim coordinators, victims' specialists, and advocates, including for the administrative support of victim coordinators and advocates providing such services; and
(ii) a Victim Notification System.
(B) Amounts made available under subparagraph (A) may not be used for any purpose that is not specified in clause (i) or (ii) of subparagraph (A).
(4) Of the remaining amount to be distributed from the Fund in a particular fiscal year-
(A) 47.5 percent shall be available for grants under section 20102 of this title;
(B) 47.5 percent shall be available for grants under section 20103(a) of this title; and
(C) 5 percent shall be available for grants under section 20103(c) of this title.
(5)(A) In addition to the amounts distributed under paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), the Director may set aside up to $50,000,000 from the amounts transferred to the Fund in response to the airplane hijackings and terrorist acts that occurred on September 11, 2001, as an antiterrorism emergency reserve. The Director may replenish any amounts obligated from such reserve in subsequent fiscal years by setting aside up to 5 percent of the amounts remaining in the Fund in any fiscal year after distributing amounts under paragraphs (2), (3) and (4). Such reserve shall not exceed $50,000,000.
(B) The antiterrorism emergency reserve referred to in subparagraph (A) may be used for supplemental grants under section 20105 of this title and to provide compensation to victims of international terrorism under section 20106 of this title.
(C) Amounts in the antiterrorism emergency reserve established pursuant to subparagraph (A) may be carried over from fiscal year to fiscal year. Notwithstanding subsection (c) and section 619 of the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 (and any similar limitation on Fund obligations in any future Act, unless the same should expressly refer to this section), any such amounts carried over shall not be subject to any limitation on obligations from amounts deposited to or available in the Fund.
(6)(A) The Director may set aside up to $10,000,000 of the amounts remaining in the Fund in any fiscal year after distributing the amounts under paragraphs (2), (3), and (4), in a Child Pornography Victims Reserve, which may be used by the Attorney General for payments under section 2259(d) of title 18.
(B) Amounts in the reserve may be carried over from fiscal year to fiscal year, but the total amount of the reserve shall not exceed $10,000,000. Notwithstanding subsection (c) and any limitation on Fund obligations in any future Act, unless the same should expressly refer to this section, any such amounts carried over shall not be subject to any limitation on obligations from amounts deposited to or available in the Fund.
(e) Amounts awarded and unspent
Any amount awarded as part of a grant under this subchapter that remains unspent at the end of a fiscal year in which the grant is made may be expended for the purpose for which the grant is made at any time during the 3 succeeding fiscal years, at the end of which period, any remaining unobligated sums shall be available for deposit into the emergency reserve fund referred to in subsection (d)(5) at the discretion of the Director, except that renewals and extensions beyond that period may be granted at the discretion of the Attorney General. Any remaining unobligated sums shall be returned to the Fund.
(f) "Offenses against the United States" as excluding
As used in this section, the term "offenses against the United States" does not include-
(1) a criminal violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (10 U.S.C. 801 et seq.);
(2) an offense against the laws of the District of Columbia; and
(3) an offense triable by an Indian tribal court or Court of Indian Offenses.
(g) Grants for Indian tribes; child abuse cases
(1) The Attorney General shall use 15 percent of the funds available under subsection (d)(2) to make grants for the purpose of assisting Native American Indian tribes in developing, establishing, and operating programs designed to improve-
(A) the handling of child abuse cases, particularly cases of child sexual abuse, in a manner which limits additional trauma to the child victim; and
(B) the investigation and prosecution of cases of child abuse, particularly child sexual abuse.
(2) The Attorney General may use 5 percent of the funds available under subsection (d)(2) (prior to distribution) for grants to Indian tribes to establish child victim assistance programs, as appropriate.
(3) As used in this subsection, the term "tribe" 2 has the meaning given that term in section 5304(b) 1 of title 25.
(
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(B)(i), is act June 25, 1938, ch. 680,
Section 3613 of title 18, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(B)(iv), was repealed effective on the first day of the first calendar month beginning 36 months after Oct. 12, 1984 (Nov. 1, 1987), by
Section 3671(c)(2) of title 18, referred to in subsec. (b)(4), was renumbered section 3681(c)(2) by
Section 619 of the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001, referred to in subsec. (d)(5)(C), is section 1(a)(2) [title VI, §619] of
The Uniform Code of Military Justice, referred to in subsec. (f)(1), is classified generally to chapter 47 (§801 et seq.) of Title 10, Armed Forces.
Section 5304 of title 25, referred to in subsec. (g)(3), has been amended, and subsec. (b) of section 5304 no longer defines the term "Indian tribe". However, such term is defined elsewhere in that section.
Codification
Section was formerly classified to section 10601 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section. Some section numbers or references in amendment notes below reflect the classification of such sections or references prior to editorial reclassification.
Amendments
2021-Subsec. (b)(6).
Subsec. (e).
2018-Subsec. (d)(6).
2016-Subsec. (d)(3)(A)(i).
2015-Subsec. (d)(3)(A)(i).
2014-Subsec. (d)(3).
2006-Subsec. (b)(1)(B)(ii).
Subsec. (b)(5).
Subsec. (d)(5)(A).
Subsec. (g)(1).
Subsec. (g)(2), (3).
2001-Subsec. (b)(5).
Subsec. (c).
"(1) Subject to the availability of money in the Fund, in each fiscal year, beginning with fiscal year 2003, the Director shall distribute not less than 90 percent nor more than 110 percent of the amount distributed from the Fund in the previous fiscal year, except the Director may distribute up to 120 percent of the amount distributed in the previous fiscal year in any fiscal year that the total amount available in the Fund is more than 2 times the amount distributed in the previous fiscal year.
"(2) In each fiscal year, the Director shall distribute amounts from the Fund in accordance with subsection (d) of this section. All sums not distributed during a fiscal year shall remain in reserve in the Fund to be distributed during a subsequent fiscal year. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all sums deposited in the Fund that are not distributed shall remain in reserve in the Fund for obligation in future fiscal years, without fiscal year limitation."
Subsec. (d)(3).
Subsec. (d)(4).
Subsec. (d)(5).
"(5)(A) If the sums available in the Fund are sufficient to fully provide grants to the States pursuant to section 10602(a)(1) of this title, the Director may retain any portion of the Fund that was deposited during a fiscal year that was in excess of 110 percent of the total amount deposited in the Fund during the preceding fiscal year as an emergency reserve. Such reserve shall not exceed $100,000,000.
"(B) The emergency reserve referred to in subparagraph (A) may be used for supplemental grants under section 10603b of this title, to provide compensation to victims of international terrorism under the program under section 10603c of this title, and to supplement the funds available to provide grants to States for compensation and assistance in accordance with sections 10602 and 10603 of this title in years in which supplemental grants are needed."
2000-Subsec. (c).
Subsec. (d)(2).
Subsec. (d)(3).
Subsec. (d)(5)(A).
Subsec. (d)(5)(B).
Subsec. (e).
1999-Subsec. (d)(3) to (5).
1997-Subsec. (d)(1).
Subsec. (d)(2).
1996-Subsec. (c).
Subsec. (d)(3)(B).
Subsec. (d)(4).
Subsec. (d)(5).
Subsec. (e).
"(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), any sums awarded as part of a grant under this chapter that remain unspent at the end of a fiscal year in which such grant is made may be expended for the purpose for which such grant is made at any time during the next succeeding fiscal year, at the end of which year any remaining unobligated sums shall be returned to the general fund of the Treasury.
"(2) For the purposes of the application of paragraph (1) to any grant under this chapter with respect to fiscal year 1985, there shall be substituted in such paragraph 'two succeeding fiscal years' for 'succeeding fiscal year' and 'which period' for 'which year'."
1994-Subsec. (d)(2).
"(A) 49.5 percent shall be available for grants under section 10602 of this title;
"(B) 45 percent shall be available for grants under section 10603(a) of this title;
"(C) 1 percent shall be available for grants under section 10603(c) of this title; and
"(D) 4.5 percent shall be available for grants as provided in section 10603a of this title."
Subsec. (d)(3).
Subsec. (d)(4).
Subsec. (d)(5).
"(A) 47.5 percent shall be available for grants under section 10602 of this title.
"(B) 47.5 percent shall be available for grants under section 10603(a) of this title.
"(C) 5 percent shall be available for grants under section 10603(c) of this title."
Subsec. (g)(1).
1993-Subsec. (d)(2)(C), (D).
Subsec. (d)(3).
Subsec. (g)(1).
1992-Subsec. (c).
"(1)(A) If the total deposited in the Fund during a particular fiscal year reaches the ceiling sum described in subparagraph (B), the excess over the ceiling sum shall not be part of the Fund. The first $2,200,000 of such excess shall be available to the judicial branch for administrative costs to carry out the functions of the judicial branch under sections 3611 and 3612 of title 18 and the remaining excess shall be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury.
"(B) The ceiling sum referred to in subparagraph (A) is-
"(i) $125,000,000 through fiscal year 1990; and
"(ii) $150,000,000 thereafter through fiscal year 1994.
"(2) No deposits shall be made in the Fund after September 30, 1994."
Subsec. (d).
"(1) Sums deposited in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be available for expenditure under this subsection for grants under this chapter without fiscal year limitation.
"(2) The Fund shall be available as follows:
"(A) Of the first $100,000,000 deposited in the Fund in a particular fiscal year-
"(i) 49.5 percent shall be available for grants under section 10602 of this title;
"(ii) 45 percent shall be available for grants under section 10603(a) of this title;
"(iii) 1 percent shall be available for grants under section 10603(c) of this title; and
"(iv) 4.5 percent shall be available for grants as provided in section 10603a of this title.
"(B) The next $5,500,000 deposited in the Fund in a particular fiscal year shall be available for grants as provided in section 10603a of this title.
"(C) Any deposits in the Fund in a particular fiscal year in excess of $105,500,000, but not in excess of $110,000,000, shall be available for grants under section 10603(a) of this title.
"(D) Any deposits in the Fund in a particular fiscal year in excess of $110,000,000 shall be available as follows:
"(i) 47.5 percent shall be available for grants under section 10602 of this title;
"(ii) 47.5 percent shall be available for grants under section 10603(a) of this title; and
"(iii) 5 percent shall be available for grants under section 10603(c)(1)(B) of this title."
1990-Subsec. (c)(1)(B)(i).
1988-Subsec. (c).
"(1) If the total deposited in the Fund during a particular fiscal year reaches the sum of $110 million, the excess over that sum shall be deposited in the general fund of the Treasury and shall not be a part of the Fund.
"(2) No deposits shall be made in the Fund after September 30, 1988."
Subsec. (d)(2)(C).
Subsec. (d)(2)(D).
Subsec. (g).
1986-Subsec. (c)(1).
Subsec. (d)(2).
Subsec. (e).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 1992 Amendment
Amendment by
Effective Date of 1988 Amendment
Effective Date
"(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), this chapter [chapter XIV (§§1401–1411) of title II of
"(b) Sections 1402, 1403, 1404, and 1407 of this chapter [enacting this subchapter] shall take effect on October 1, 1984."
Report
"(a)
"(b)
"(1) an analysis of victims' assistance, victims' compensation, and discretionary grants under which victims of cybercrimes against individuals received assistance; and
"(2) recommendations for improving services for victims of cybercrimes against individuals."
[For definition of "cybercrime against individuals" as used in section 322 of
Victims of September 11, 2001
"(1) section 619 of the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 [section 1(a)(2) [title VI, §619] of
"(2) subsections (c) and (d) of section 1402 of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (42 U.S.C. 10601) [now 34 U.S.C. 20101]."
Limitation on Amounts Available for Obligation
Similar provisions were contained in the following prior appropriation acts:
Interaction With Any Cap
Transfer of Certain Unobligated Funds
Retroactive Transfer to Fund