The proposed legislation establishes the Victims of Crime Trauma Informed Mobilization Fund, known as the VICTIM Fund, aimed at supporting nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island that provide victim services. The fund will facilitate a competitive grant program specifically for Rhode Island nonprofit (501(c)(3)) organizations with annual budgets under $50 million that are actively providing victim service programs. The bill specifies that municipalities and state agencies are ineligible for these grants, which are intended to supplement, not supplant, existing funding. Priority consideration will be given to organizations proposing innovative service delivery methods, culturally specific programs, or strategies to address underserved populations.

To ensure timely support for victim services, the bill mandates that VICTIM Fund grants be allocated to victim service organizations by January of the fiscal year in which they are appropriated, preventing any carryover into future fiscal years. The General Assembly is required to make an appropriation by separate line item in the budget of at least $30 million annually to fund the VICTIM Fund, starting in fiscal year 2026. The appropriation shall only be used for grants to nonprofit organizations as described in the bill, and the budget for the Department of Public Safety shall be adjusted as necessary to meet the needs of the program without disruption. Additionally, the Department of Public Safety is required to provide the General Assembly with an annual report in December detailing how and to whom the grant funds were allocated and any outcomes associated with the funding. The legislation also includes a requirement for a separate line-item appropriation in the budget each fiscal year to cover the cost of one or more full-time equivalent positions at the Department of Public Safety to assist in the administration and implementation of the VICTIM Fund grant program. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.