New California Law Creates Fund for Crime Victim Services in Santa Barbara and Other Counties

Victim services in California just secured a permanent pay raise, leaving local providers with a sunnier outlook after the federal government slashed funding earlier this year.

Governor Gavin Newsom signed off on a new law — Assembly Bill 2432 — that will impose an additional fine for corporations convicted of white-collar crimes, which will be deposited in the newly established California Crime Victims Fund.

This new legislation is meant to act as a permanent solution to years-long declines in federal funding for survivors of sexual assault, child abuse, and domestic violence through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA).  

According to the California VOCA Advocacy Alliance, federal VOCA funding in 2024 for California’s crime victim services was nearly $200 million short of what it was in 2019.

This year’s particularly shocking drop in VOCA funds — a $700 million shortfall — left victim service providers nationwide scrambling to figure out how to keep their doors open and their 24-hour hotlines running.  

In response, the state first threw a $103 million lifeline in one-time funds to keep providers temporarily afloat, but the new law creates a more secure outlook for the future. For Ann McCarty, executive director of the North County Rape Crisis Center, it’s a sigh of relief.

“A lot of work has gone into getting to this point, but it’s reassuring that he [Governor Newsom] heard the voices of so many advocates,” McCarty said. 

“We aren’t out of the woods yet, as it will take some time to build up this fund, but to know that the financial horizon looks brighter is comforting,” she added. “Now, we can really focus our energy on providing the critical services victims of crime need, instead of wondering if we can keep the lights on.”

According to Elsa Granados, the executive director of Standing Together to End Sexual Assault (STESA; formerly the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center), the state previously contributed “very little” to victim service providers, instead relying heavily on federal moneys. 

She estimates that a bit less than $50,000 from the state would be split among California’s more than 80 rape crisis centers, leaving STESA with a share of around $700 from the general fund each year.

“Anything that the state government can do to provide funds to support victims of crime in California is great,” Granados said. “When the state government and federal government, for that matter, provide more support, that extends our reach to more of the community.” 

Granados applauded the state for creating a stable funding source for victim services, but noted, “It’s important for the state government to consider funding for both the intervention and prevention of sexual assault.”

“Of course, intervention funds are important — they allow us to run 24-hour hotlines and support groups — but it’s not enough to just invest in intervention; we need to work to prevent the crime from happening in the first place.” 

The California VOCA Alliance has already begun state budget advocacy for 2025 — “because while the California Crime Victims Fund sets the stage for more consistent funding, it will take time to build,” the organization said in a press release. 

“In the coming year, as we wait for this fund to grow to a sufficient level to be of assistance to our programs and the survivors they serve, we expect that the Legislature and Governor will continue to support state-level funding for crime victim service providers and the clients they serve, mindful that we need both short-term and long-term solutions for these essential services.”