An Act to amend and reenact § 9.1-116.1 of the Code of Virginia and to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 17.1-275.15, relating to Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Victim Fund; additional fee for certain offenses.
HB1233 creates and funds the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Victim Fund, a special nonreverting fund administered by the Department of Criminal Justice Services. The fund is intended to support prosecution of domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, sex trafficking, stalking, family abuse, and related offenses, as well as victim services and forensic examination services. The bill directs the Department to adopt grant guidelines for distributing money to local prosecutors, law-enforcement or related victim-support programs, civil legal assistance and child advocacy organizations, and sexual assault service providers and hospitals.
The bill also adds a new court-cost assessment of $500 for each conviction of specified offenses, including abduction/kidnapping-related offenses, sexual assault offenses, and a range of prostitution, trafficking, and child sexual exploitation offenses. Those fees, along with a portion of existing court fees specified elsewhere in the Code, are deposited into the new fund and designated for support services for eligible victims. The fund does not revert to the general fund at the end of the biennium, and interest earned remains in the fund.
HB1233 amends § 9.1-116.1 and adds § 17.1-275.15 to the Code of Virginia. It creates a dedicated revenue stream for victim services and criminal justice responses to domestic and sexual violence by imposing additional court costs on certain convictions and routing those revenues to a special fund. The measure affects defendants convicted of the listed offenses, prosecutors, victim-service providers, hospitals, and forensic nurse examiner programs, with priority for rural and underserved areas.
The bill appears to have received broad bipartisan support and moved through both chambers without recorded opposition in the votes provided. Committee and floor votes were unanimous or near-unanimous at each stage, and the House agreed to the Senate substitute, indicating general consensus on the need to strengthen funding for victim services and related prosecutions.
No major substantive controversy is reflected in the available transcripts or votes. The main policy issue inherent in the bill is the use of an added $500 court fee on convictions for specified offenses to finance the fund, which shifts costs to convicted defendants rather than the general fund. The bill also prioritizes how grants are allocated, including support for prosecutors, victim services, and forensic examiners, but the record provided does not show organized opposition to those choices.