House Bill 1123 creates the Indiana crime victims fund within state law to support victim assistance services for entities eligible for federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants. The fund would be administered by the Indiana criminal justice institute and could receive state appropriations, private or public donations, and investment interest. Money in the fund would be distributed to entitlement jurisdictions, eligible entities, and local governmental entities using the same framework and purposes that apply to VOCA victim assistance grants.
The bill also makes a direct appropriation from the state general fund to the institute for deposit into the new fund: $15 million for state fiscal year 2025-2026 and another $15 million for 2026-2027. The money would be dedicated to victim assistance purposes and would not revert to the general fund at the end of a fiscal year. The act would take effect July 1, 2025, and the appropriation section would expire July 1, 2027.
Impact
HB1123 would add a new section to Indiana Code 5-2-6 establishing a dedicated crime victims fund and authorizing the Indiana criminal justice institute to administer and distribute those funds. It would create a continuing statutory mechanism for funding victim assistance programs and would require recipients to use the money only for purposes allowed under the federal Victims of Crime Act and related regulations. The bill also appropriates $30 million over two fiscal years from the state general fund, directly affecting state spending and creating a nonreverting special fund for victim services.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be framed as a straightforward support bill for crime victims and victim service providers. The caption and structure suggest a generally favorable policy goal of stabilizing funding for programs that assist victims of crime. No opposing viewpoints are documented in the supplied context.
Contention
No specific contention is reflected in the provided transcripts or voting history, so there is no recorded debate to identify. Potential areas of concern, based on the bill itself, could include the size of the general fund appropriation, the creation of a nonreverting fund, and whether the state should provide ongoing support for programs that are also tied to federal VOCA eligibility. However, no legislator, agency, or stakeholder objections are included in the materials provided.