An Act to Provide Funding for Sexual Assault Services
Summary
LD 117 is a funding measure aimed at preserving and supporting community-based services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Maine. The bill directs that any unused portion of two one-time appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services—$3 million in fiscal year 2025-26 and $3 million in fiscal year 2026-27—be redirected, in equal shares, to a statewide coalition of domestic violence resource centers and a statewide coalition of sexual assault support centers if those funds are not needed to offset reductions in federal victim assistance grants.
The bill is tied to the state’s response to anticipated or current reductions in federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding administered by the U.S. Department of Justice. It requires DHHS to determine any unused balance by March 30 of each year and distribute those funds to support community-based services. In effect, the bill creates a backstop so that money appropriated to replace federal grant losses can still be used for victim services rather than remaining unspent.
Impact
LD 117 amends the use of existing DHHS Purchased Social Services funding by establishing a priority and fallback distribution mechanism for unused balances. It does not create a new program so much as it reallocates state appropriations to domestic violence and sexual assault service coalitions when the money is not needed for the original purpose of replacing federal victim assistance grant reductions. The bill therefore affects the Department of Health and Human Services, statewide domestic violence and sexual assault provider networks, and the state’s administration of victim services funding.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial. It passed enactment in the House by a unanimous 136-0 vote, suggesting strong bipartisan agreement on the need to protect funding for sexual assault and domestic violence services. The absence of committee transcript material also suggests there was little recorded public dispute in the available record.
Contention
No major points of contention are evident in the available materials. The only potential policy question is how unused state funds should be prioritized: whether they should remain available to offset federal VOCA-related shortfalls or be distributed to service coalitions for direct community-based support. The bill resolves that question by directing any unused balance to the coalitions, indicating consensus around ensuring funds reach victim service providers.