Funding - Montana's programs depend on federal dollars
Most programs are making due with shoestring budgets. Our state continues to have huge service gaps, especially in Montana's more remote rural areas and on our reservations. Unfortunately, victims cannot get help when they need it in many places in Montana. Programs rely on federal dollars, local fundraising, and volunteer labor to support the work that they do and the services they provide. Unlike many other states, Montana invests very few state dollars in direct services for victims of domestic and sexual violence, and even that amount has decreased in the last two years.Funding from the state
Aside from private donations, the money that direct service programs receive from Montana sources comes from two pots:
In the coming biennium, the Department of Health and Human Services will receive $127,641/year in state general fund money (those funds are passed through to local programs in grants.)
In addition, Montana programs will receive about $62,000 from a state special revenue account that is funded through a $30 fee attached to filings for marriage dissolution or legal separation. This amount is down from a pre-2002 level of about $300,000.
This compares to states like Minnesota where domestic violence programs are slated to receive $10-$12 million in state general fund money (which, because of budget shortfalls is actually a $8 million reduction from the amount of money they had been receiving.) Minnesota is, probably on the high side of the scale, but a majority of states receive a large portion of their funding from state coffers.
Funding at the federal level critical
The federal funding for direct service providers comes from Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), administered through the US Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services. VAWA programs have not been fully funded, and current funding levels are $156.7 million less than the Act's Authorization levels. The President's FY 2005 budget request would reduce current spending levels. In addition, direct service programs receive funding from the federal penalties fund created by the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA.)
We are encouraging our Congressional Delegation to support the following three items in regards to the upcoming federal budget:
Increasing the Battered Women's Shelter and Services Program in HHS from $126 million to $150 million. This modest increase will provide for services for children in battered women's shelters, will bring resources to programs to address their waiting lists for services and will help programs meet the growing need for services.
Restoring the Grants to Combat Violence Against Women in DOJ to the authorized level of $185 million. This program, which includes STOP formula grants to the states, took a 16.1 million cut in the 2004 budget. This signals a retreat from Congress's commitment to provide full funding for VAWA and is an alarming trend backwards.
Support the VOCA cap level at $675. In his recent budget request, President Bush increased the cap from its current level of $625 to $675. This increase is very important, because direct service programs receive only the money remaining in the VOCA fund after all other earmarked programs have received their share. Additional programs, many related to Homeland Security, have been funded out of the VOCA fund in the past two years, but the cap has remained the same. This has amounted to about an 8% reduction in funds available to Montana programs.