Congresswoman Simon Introduces the Crime Survivor Support and Stability Act to Strengthen Federal Support for Survivors of Crime

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, during National Crime Victims' Rights Week, Congresswoman Lateefah Simon (D-CA-12) and Emilia Sykes (D-OH-13) introduced the Crime Survivor Support and Stability Act. This bill would strengthen the federal response to violent crime by affirming survivors' rights, funding community-based assistance, and improving how we measure survivors' needs via supplemental state-level surveys.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, approximately 6.4 million violent victimizations occurred in 2023 alone. These incidents carry an estimated economic cost of billions of dollars annually in medical expenses, lost wages, and related burdens; this financial toll falls hardest on survivors with the fewest resources, who are also the least likely to access existing support systems. Additionally, people who were victims of violence in the past ten years are 3.6 times as likely to declare bankruptcy. Yet, in the immediate aftermath of victimization, survivors and their families too often struggle to access the resources they need to heal.

"Trauma left untreated can leave survivors vulnerable to further victimization. Breaking cycles of violence starts with supporting those directly impacted, which is why I am proud to introduce this bill and start to change the way our government supports and sees survivors," said Congresswoman Simon. "I have worked directly with young women who survived violent crime and seen firsthand how immediate, accessible assistance, whether for transportation, medical care, or funeral expenses, means the difference between further vulnerability and true healing. This legislation will ensure survivors receive quick and direct support from trusted community-based organizations."

"Too many survivors are forced to navigate not only the trauma of violence, but also the financial and legal barriers that follow," said Rep. Emilia Sykes (OH-13). "This legislation helps ensure survivors can access immediate financial support, keep their housing and jobs, and get the services they need to rebuild their lives. It's about meeting people where they are and giving them a real path to stability and healing."

The Crime Survivor Support and Stability Act centers the healing of crime survivors by:

• Affirming that states should review and revise laws to ensure survivors adequately receive the support they need, and by enumerating survivors' rights.
• Establishing a grant program within the Department of Justice's Office for Victims of Crime to support community-based organizations in providing direct cash assistance to survivors of violence and/or their affected family members.
• Creating a pilot program at the Bureau of Justice Statistics to conduct annual state-level victim-needs surveys, building the evidence base for future investments.

The bill text can be found here, and a one-pager on the bill can be found here.

Prior to serving in the House of Representatives, Congresswoman Simon worked with survivors and in the restorative justice space. At 19, she became the youngest Executive Director of the Young Women's Freedom Center, where she supported hundreds of young women and girls impacted by the foster care and criminal justice systems and developed groundbreaking programs to reduce recidivism. She later created the "Back on Track" program with then-San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, a nationally recognized initiative that offered first-time, nonviolent offenders alternatives to incarceration, reducing recidivism, and providing a second chance for participants.

This bill is endorsed by: Just Safe, Californians for Safety and Justice, Youth Alive, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ), Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, and the Urban Peace Movement.

"No one plans to become a victim of crime. Often survivors of crime, including those who have lost loved ones to violence, lack the resources to bury a family member, pay extensive medical bills or are unable to get the time off work to recover from victimization," said Shakyra Diaz, Chief of Federal Advocacy for Just Safe. "Access to flexible cash assistance can quickly solve this problem and help survivors heal."

"Crime survivors deserve healing and safety in the aftermath of violence, instead of barriers and roadblocks," said Tinisch Hollins, Executive Director of Californians for Safety and Justice and a crime survivor who has lost family members due to violence. "It's time to redefine 'victims' rights' as a real right to heal, focusing on breaking cycles of crime and revictimization. It starts with the Crime Survivors Support and Stability Act."

"By investing in direct support and community-led solutions, this bill affirms that safety is built through care, not punishment, and that survivors deserve pathways to healing outside the criminal legal system," said J. Vasquez, Policy Director at Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice (CURYJ).

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