North Carolina SB 719: Retirement Tech./Protect./& Other Changes.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
S 1
SENATE BILL 719

Short Title: NC Victims of Crime Assistance Act. (Public)
Sponsors: Senators Bradley, Mohammed, and Theodros (Primary Sponsors).
Referred to: Rules and Operations of the Senate
March 26, 2025
*S719-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO CREATE THE NORTH CAROLINA VICTIMS OF CRIME ASSISTANCE ACT, 2
FUND, AND COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
5
CREATION OF THE NORTH CAROLINA VICTIMS OF CRIME ASSISTANCE (NC 6
VOCA) ACT, FUND, AND COMPETITIVE GRANT PROGRAM 7
SECTION 1.(a) Chapter 15B of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new 8
article to read: 9
"Article 3. 10
"North Carolina Victims of Crime Assistance Act. 11
"§ 15B-50. Short title. 12
This Article may be cited as the "North Carolina Victims of Crime Assistance Act." 13
"§ 15B-51. Definitions. 14
As used in this Article, the following definitions apply, unless the context requires otherwise: 15
(1) Assistance Fund. – The North Carolina Victims of Crime Assistance Fund. 16
(2) Commission. – The Governor's Crime Commission. 17
(3) Grant Program. – The North Carolina Victims of Crime Assistance 18
Competitive Grant Program. 19
(4) Victim. – A person who suffered physical, sexual, financial, or emotional 20
harm as a result of the commission of a crime. 21
(5) Victim assistance program. – A program operated by a public agency or 22
nonprofit organization that (i) provides services to victims of crime and (ii) 23
demonstrates a record of providing effective services to victims of crime. 24
"§ 15B-52. North Carolina Victims of Crime Assistance Fund. 25
(a) Fund Created. – The North Carolina Victims of Crime Assistance Fund is established 26
as a special fund within the Department of Public Safety. The Governor's Crime Commission is 27
responsible for administering the Assistance Fund using personnel and other administrative 28
resources of the Department of Public Safety. 29
(b) Fund Purpose. – The Assistance Fund shall be utilized to distribute grant funds 30
pursuant to the North Carolina Victims of Crime Assistance Grant Program created by this 31
Article. 32
(c) Fund Sources. – The Assistance Fund may receive any of the following: 33
(1) Funds appropriated by the General Assembly. 34
(2) Funds received pursuant to State law. 35
(3) Gifts, grants, or donations from any public or private sources. 36

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 Senate Bill 719-First Edition
"§ 15B-53. North Carolina Victims of Crime Assistance Competitive Grant Program. 1
(a) Grant Program. – There is established the North Carolina Victims of Crime 2
Assistance Competitive Grant Program to be administered by the Governor's Crime Commission 3
for the purpose of awarding and distributing grants to public or nonprofit organizations serving 4
residents of the State through victim assistance programs. The Grant Program shall be funded by 5
the North Carolina Victims of Crime Assistance Fund created by this Article. 6
(b) Grant Program Guidelines. – The Commission shall develop guidelines and 7
procedures for the administration of the Grant Program, including at a minimum the following 8
requirements and limitations: 9
(1) The maximum grant amount shall not exceed one million dollars 10
($1,000,000). 11
(2) The maximum total award amount to a grantee during a single fiscal year shall 12
not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000). For purposes of this subdivision, 13
the total award amount shall only include funds awarded in the fiscal year in 14
question and shall not include funds awarded to that grantee during prior fiscal 15
years, regardless of whether all or part of those funds awarded during prior 16
fiscal years remain unspent. 17
(3) Each grantee shall operate one or more victim assistance programs serving 18
victims in the State in at least one of the following ways: 19
a. Responding to the emotional and physical needs of crime victims. 20
b. Assisting victims of crime in stabilizing their lives after a 21
victimization. 22
c. Helping victims understand and participate in the criminal justice 23
system. 24
d. Providing victims of crime with a measure of safety and security. 25
(4) Each grant applicant shall include in its application a detailed explanation of 26
how the applicant plans to use the grant funds, including at a minimum each 27
of the following: 28
a. A description of the geographic area the organization serves and the 29
needs of victims in that area. 30
b. A plan to address the needs of victims using the grant funds. 31
c. A description of the organization's capacity to implement its plan to 32
address the needs of victims, including the organization's staffing 33
level, systems, partnerships, existing funding, and existing programs. 34
(5) No later than one year after the receipt of grant funds pursuant to the Grant 35
Program, grantees shall report to the Governor's Crime Commission each of 36
the following: 37
a. Progress on the d