On average, over 20 million Americans are victims of crime each year. Violent crimes including assault, rape, robbery and murder account for about 25% of all crimes, or about 1.2 million offenses. In addition to the offense itself, the costs to crime victims can be great. These include medical and psychological injuries that may require surgery, rehabilitation and therapy, as well as lost property and wages. The financial cost to society of all crimes has been estimated to be in the trillions of dollars each year. Every state now has a crime victim compensation fund to provide financial assistance to victims and their families, as does our federal government. As of 2020, the balance of our Crime Victims Fund was over $6 billion – financed by federal criminal fines, forfeited bail bonds and other penalties.
Proposed Resolution: Reintroduction of H.R.5658 - Crime Victims' Rights Act of 2020
Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL)
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