Bill > S2661

This bill, the Fairness for Crime Victims Act of 2023, seeks to curtail the use of changes in mandatory programs (known as CHIMPs) that affect the Crime Victims Fund. The Crime Victims Fund, established in 1984, is funded by fines, penalties, and forfeited bonds in federal court, and is used to provide services and compensation to victims of crime. However, since 2000, Congress has been accounting for funds collected by the Crime Victims Fund but not disbursing the full amount, resulting in over $10 billion being withheld from crime victims. This bill aims to restore fairness by establishing a point of order in both the Senate and the House of Representatives against using CHIMPs that would cause the amount available for obligation from the Crime Victims Fund to be less than the 3-year average amount, with certain exceptions.