SB 5362 — Concerning victims of crime act funding.

S-1296.1S-0591.1 SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5362 State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session By Senate Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Dhingra, Frame, Hasegawa, Salomon, Trudeau, and C.

Wilson)Wilson READRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/07/25.01/20/25.

Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

1 SSBSB 5362 (1) TheIn each fiscal year, the legislature shall include in the annual budget bill an appropriation that, together with the amount received under the federal victims of crime act account is created in the stateprior treasury.year, totals:

Moneys(a) inAn theaggregate account$50,000,000 mayannually befor spentthe only2025-2027 afterand appropriation.2027-2029 biennia;

(2)(b) BeginningAn inaggregate fiscal$60,000,000 yearannually 2026,for the state2029–2031 treasurerand must2031– transfer2033 intobiennia; the victims of crime act account from the general fund the following sums, less the amount received by the state pursuant to the federal victims of crime act of 1984, 34 U.S.C.

Sec.(c) An aggregate $70,000,000 annually for the 2033–2035 biennium and thereafter.

20101(2) etAfter seq.,reaching andan asaggregate thereafterof amended,$70,000,000, in the previousoffice fiscalof year,crime asvictims determinedadvocacy byshall submit a report to the officelegislature ofwith financialdata management:on crime victim services and recommendations for future aggregate funding levels every five years, with a preliminary report due December 15, 2039.

(a)(3) $50,000,000The peroffice fiscalof yearcrime victims advocacy shall support programs providing services for fiscalvictims yearsof 2026,crime 2027,throughout 2028,the state and 2029;ensure that state funds awarded under this section:

(b)(a) $60,000,000Are peradministered fiscalin yeara forunified fiscalprocess yearswith 2030,federal 2031,victims 2032,of crime act funds and 2033;the victims of crime act state plan, with separate reporting as necessary to comply with federal and state regulations;

and(b) (c)Shall $70,000,000be perused fiscalto yearsupplement, forbut eachnot fiscalsupplant, yearfunding thereafter.that the programs receive from other sources;

(3) Expenditures from the account may be used for programs providing services for victims of crime throughout the state.

Expenditures from the account:

(a) Must be administered in a unified process with federal victims of crime act funds and the victims of crime act state plan, with separate reporting as necessary to comply with federal and state regulations;

(b) Shall be used to supplement, but not supplant, funding that programs providing services for victims of crime receive from other sources;

(4) Not more than five percent of the funds deposited in the victims of crime act account under this section may be available for the administrative costs of the office of crime victims advocacy in supporting programs providing services for victims of crime throughout the state.

(5) The office of crime victims advocacy shall submit a report to the legislature with data on crime victim services and recommendations for future aggregate funding levels for the victims of crime act account every five years, with a preliminary report due December 15, 2039.

2 SSBSB 5362