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 focus on victim advocacy and direct services. Municipalities and state agencies are ineligible for these grants, which are intended to supplement existing funding rather than replace it. Priority 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 grants be allocated to victim service organizations by January of the fiscal year in which they are appropriated, preventing any carryover into future years. The General Assembly is required to make an appropriation by separate line item in the budget of at least $30 million annually for the VICTIM Fund starting in fiscal year 2026, with provisions for adjusting the budget as necessary to meet the ongoing needs of the program. Additionally, the legislation includes 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 Department of Public Safety is also 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 act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.