Victims' Voices Outside and Inside the Courtroom Effectiveness Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (S. 3706) to amend section 3663A of title 18, United States Code, to clarify that restitution includes necessary and reasonable expenses incurred by a person who has assumed the victim's rights.

The Clerk read the title of the bill.

The text of the bill is as follows: S. 3706

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Victims' Voices Outside and Inside the Courtroom Effectiveness Act'' or the ``Victims' VOICES Act''. SEC. 2. RESTITUTION FOR EXPENSES OF PERSONS WHO HAVE ASSUMED THE VICTIM'S RIGHTS.

Section 3663A(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

``(4) Clarification.--In ordering restitution under this section, a court shall order the defendant to make restitution to a person who has assumed the victim's rights under paragraph (2) to reimburse that person's necessary and reasonable--

``(A) lost income, child care, transportation, and other expenses incurred during and directly related to participation in the investigation or prosecution of the offense or attendance at proceedings related to the offense;

``(B) lost income, transportation, and other expenses incurred that are directly related to transporting the victim for necessary medical and related professional services and devices relating to physical, psychiatric, and psychological care, including nonmedical care and treatment rendered in accordance with a method of healing recognized by the law of the place of treatment; and

``(C) lost income, transportation, and other expenses incurred that are directly related to transporting the victim to receive necessary physical and occupational therapy and rehabilitation.''.

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Ms. HAGEMAN. 3706.

Mr. Speaker, the bill we are here today to pass brings much-needed support to crime victims across the country. The bipartisan and bicameral Victims' Voices Outside and Inside the Courtroom Effectiveness Act, or Victims' VOICES Act, passed the Senate through unanimous consent. I am proud to be the House lead on this important legislation.

I thank my friend and colleague across the aisle, Representative Lucy McBath, for her work on this legislation and for her continued advocacy on behalf of victims.

I will also take a moment to remember and acknowledge Ms. Jackson Lee. She was a cosponsor of the bill and a longtime advocate for the rights of crime victims. My thoughts and prayers go out to her family.

The purpose of the Victims' VOICES Act is simple: It assures fairness for all crime victims in accessing and receiving restitution from convicted defendants.

Supporting victims and holding criminals accountable has always been a top priority of Congress. In 1996, the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act was signed into law and required defendants convicted of certain crimes, including violent crime, to pay restitution to their victims.

These types of restitution can include lost income, childcare costs incurred while participating in the investigation, or medical and nonmedical care and treatment. In cases where a victim is a minor, deceased, or unable to act on their own behalf, a family member, legal guardian, or a person appointed by the court may assume the victim's rights.

However, many jurisdictions have wrongfully ruled these individuals are precluded from receiving restitution for their own lost income or expenses.

Parents, who lovingly cared for their child who was the victim of a crime, may not receive compensation for taking time off of work to help their child heal. Family members whose loved ones did not survive a brutal attack may not receive restitution.

This is wrong. We should be thanking these brave and thoughtful citizens. Instead, the government is casting them aside.

This is an especially concerning issue in crimes of violence and in Tribal communities, like my district, where locating and protecting missing and exploited women and children is a major challenge.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, those families and the victims of crime should not be discriminated against. Our men and women in blue agree. This legislation is endorsed and supported by law enforcement organizations and victims' rights groups, including the National District Attorneys Association, RAVEN, National Children's Alliance, Major County Sheriffs of America, RAINN, and the National Native American Law Enforcement Association.

Let's work together by lightening the burden for victims and their families and making it easier to finally access justice.

Again, I thank Representative McBath for co-leading this bill with me in the House and I thank Senator Cornyn for his leadership on this important effort in the Senate.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on S. 3706, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, the victims and their families should receive full restitution when they are the victims of crimes. It is for that reason that I have supported and am sponsoring S. 3706, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

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Ms. HAGEMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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