On April 30, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies approved, by voice vote, the FY2015 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies spending bill (as-yet-unnumbered).
According to a brief committee summary, the bill would provide $51.2 billion in discretionary funds for FY2015, $398 million over FY2014. The Department of Justice would receive $27.8 billion in FY2015. This amount is $383 million over FY2014 and includes $425.5 million for the Office on Violence Against Women and $45.4 million for victims of trafficking grant programs. The US Marshals Service, which provides assistance to states in locating and monitoring convicted sex offenders, would receive $2.8 billion in FY2015.
The legislation also would provide $125 million for the DNA Initiative – which includes funding for Debbie Smith Backlog and Sexual Assault Forensic Exam grants – and $36 million for “a new Community Backlog Reduction program to process sexual assault kits.”
Additional details will be made available once the committee releases its report.
