Applications to pay for medical expenses, counseling, and funerals, as well as to cover living costs for injured or murdered victims and their families, could be processed more promptly. And more victims that don't hear about compensation opportunities could learn how they could access these important benefits. Victim compensation programs are expanding. These growing programs need more federal resources if they are going to continue to help victims recover fully and expeditiously. While some states have sufficient resources of their own, many more states do not have funds to meet the growing demands being placed upon them.
Maximums remain low in many states.
For some victims, these maximums are far too low to meet all their needs. And states are reluctant to increase benefits and expand eligibility without assurances that funds are sufficient to pay all eligible victims. It's high time to make some small adjustments to VOCA to ensure that crime victims and their families share fully in the revenues available. At a time when an enormous amount of money is flowing into the Fund, there is no excuse to ignore individual victims and their families' financial needs. Two small suggestions to accomplish this goal follow.