WASHINGTON, D.C. - (January 12, 2026) - The House of Representatives today passed legislation Congressman Derek Schmidt (KS-02) helped lead to shore up support for victims of violent crime.

The Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act(H.R. 909) redirects unobligated funds collected through the False Claims Actto the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) through fiscal year (FY) 2029, stabilizing the CVF that has experienced falling revenues. Schmidt joined five colleagues in both political parties introducing the bill in February of last year.

"When I served as Kansas attorney general, I oversaw critical support services for victims and their families," Schmidt said. "Redirecting money from those who attempted to misuse funds to restore the Crime Victims Fundis a practical and responsible way to address the CVF's current funding gap. I thank the diligent work of my House colleagues and hope for a similar outcome in the Senate to get this bill on the President's desk."

On Monday, Schmidt spoke in favor of H.R. 909 on the House floor. His remarks can be found here.

BACKGROUND

The CVF was created as a part of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984to provide funding for victim assistance programs in all fifty states. This funding supports thousands of victim assistance programs, including child advocacy centers, domestic violence agencies, and rape crisis centers, serving an average of 3.7 million victims of crime per year.

The CVF is not funded by taxpayer dollars; rather, it is funded through fines, settlements, bonds, and monetary penalties associated with federal criminal prosecutions. While deposits into the CVF fluctuate annually depending on the cases prosecuted by the Department of Justice, the fund's balance has seen a drastic drop of 83% since fiscal FY 2017. This shortfall is forcing programs that support victims of child abuse, domestic violence, and sexual assault to either triage their services or close their doors entirely.

The Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Actprovides a solution to this shortfall by redirecting funds collected through the False Claims Act (FCA) into the CVF through FY2029. The FCA authorizes the federal government to hold entities liable that knowingly defraud government agencies for up to 3x the damages. Over the past two fiscal years, settlements and judgements under the FCA have totaled over $5.5 billion. This temporary infusion of resources will help stabilize the CVF while retaining the fund's original intent of being financed by legal fines and fees, not Americans' tax dollars.