On May 24, the House Appropriations Committee approved, by voice vote, the FY2017 Commerce, Justice, Science (CJS) and Related Agencies (as-yet-unnumbered) spending bill. The CJS Subcommittee approved the legislation on May 18 (see The Source, 5/20/16); the Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of the CJS spending bill on April 21 (see The Source, 4/22/16).
According to the committee report, the bill would provide $56.001 billion in discretionary funding for FY2017. This amount is $279 million over FY2016 and $1.375 billion over President Obama’s FY2017 budget request. It includes $29.437 billion for the Department of Justice, which is $347.65 million over FY2016 and $390.677 million below the administration’s request.
The following chart summarizes several programs important to women and their families.
|
Program/Agency |
FY2016 |
President’s FY2017 Request |
||
| Office on Violence Against Women | $480 million | $489 million | $527.5 million | $481.5 million |
| Grants to Combat Violence Against Women (STOP Grants) | $215 million | $200 million | $215 million | $215 million |
| Transitional Housing Assistance | $30 million | $30 million | $30 million | $30 million |
| Research and Evaluation on Violence Against Women | $5 million | $3 million | $5 million | $3 million |
| Consolidated Youth-Oriented Program | $11 million | $11 million | $11 million | $11 million |
| Sexual Assault Victims Services | $35 million | $35 million | $35 million | $35 million |
| Rural Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Enforcement | $34 million | $34 million | $34 million | $35 million |
| Violence on College Campuses | $20 million | $26 million | $20 million | $20 million |
| Civil Legal Assistance | $45 million | $52.5 million | $45 million | $45 million |
| Elder Abuse Grant Program | $5 million | $6.25 million | $5 million | $5 million |
| Family Civil Justice | $16 million | $16 million | $16 million | $16 million |
| Education and Training for Disabled Female Victims | $6 million | $6 million | $6 million | $6 million |
| National Resource Center on Workplace Responses | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 |
| Indian Country-Sexual Assault Clearinghouse | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 | $500,000 |
| Research on Violence Against Indian Women | $1 million | $1 million | $1 million | $1 million |
| Rape Survivor Child Custody Act | $2.5 million | — | $2.5 million | $1.5 million |
| Office of Justice Programs | $1.883 billion | $1.676 billion | $1.566 billion | $1.663 billion |
| Victims of Trafficking | $45 million | $0 | $45 million | $47.649 million |
| Prison Rape Prevention and Prosecution | $10.5 million | $10.5 million | $12 million | * |
| Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) | $9 million | $9 million | $9 million | $9 million |
| DNA Initiative | $125 million | $105 million | $125 million | $125 million |
| Debbie Smith Backlog Grants | $117 million | Did not specify | $117 million | $117 million |
| Sexual Assault Forensic Exam | $4 million | Did not specify | $4 million | $4 million |
|
Related Agencies |
||||
| Commission on Civil Rights | $9.2 million | $9.43 million | $9.2 million | $9.2 million |
| Equal Employment Opportunity Commission | $364.5 million | $376.646 million | $364.5 million | $364.5 million |
| Legal Services Corporation | $385 million | $475 million | $350 million | $395 million |
* The committee has included bill language providing a one-year exemption from the penalties required under the Prison Rape Elimination Act for the OVW’s STOP Grants.
