**Non-Federal Funding Moment
Dear Relative,
The president of the United States has released his proposed FY 2027 budget, which includes a consolidation of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), and the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) into a single grants component entitled the “Bureau of Justice Grants (BJG).” The BJG proposal essentially eliminates these separate agencies. The president’s FY 27 budget proposal seeks to cut $1.328 billion of discretionary funding to OVW, COPS, and OJP combined, eliminating approximately 30.3% of the current joint budgets for these offices. This proposal also seeks to remove 14 staff positions from OVW. Read the full proposal by the president here.
What This Means Overall
The proposed elimination of OVW, OJP, and COPS through the creation of BJG and the associated cuts to funding threaten survivors, advocates, Tribes, programs, and communities across the country. From the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) alone, this proposal seeks to cut funding from the following:
- Access to Sexual Assault Nurses Exams (seeks to decrease funding by $12.0 million);
- Culturally Specific Services (seeks to decrease funding by $10.0 million);
- Disabilities Program (seeks to decrease funding by $5.5 million);
- Elder Program (seeks to decrease funding by $3.0 million);
- LGBT Specific Services (seeks to decrease funding by $1.0 million);
- NIJ Research on Violence Against Indian Women (seeks to decrease funding by $1.0 million);
- STOP Program (seeks to decrease funding by $67.0 million);
- Sexual Assault Services Program (seeks to decrease funding by $1.0 million);
- Special Tribal Criminal Jurisdiction (seeks to decrease funding by $4.5 million);
These are only some of the proposed OVW program and funding cuts under this proposal. For the full list of programs & funding to be cut under the proposed elimination of OVW, OJP, and COPS, view pages 11-12 of the president’s proposal.
These programs don’t simply offer services—they save lives. But they rely on federal funding to keep their doors open. If this proposal were to be approved by Congress and signed into law, survivors will be left without the support they need to access safety and to survive, and our communities will lose essential crisis response services.
The Office on Violence Against Women was authorized in statute as a stand alone agency through the Violence Against Women Act and its reauthorizations. As the Office on Violence Against Women is legally protected by statute, consolidating OVW into a larger grants component requires congressional approval. Enacting this proposed elimination without congressional approval is unlawful.
What You Can Do
This is only a proposal. In order for this proposal to pass into law, it must be approved by Congress. There is still time to act.
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATOR TODAY AND TELL THEM TO OPPOSE THE ELIMINATION OF OVW
A sample script for you to use when calling:
Hello, my name is ___________________, and I am a constituent. I live in __________________ and I work for ______________________________. We provide vital services to victims of sexual violence in our community. The president’s proposed FY 27 budget includes a consolidation of OVW, COPS office, and OJP into one grant office, effectively eliminating the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW). OVW is a congressionally created office whose existence is protected by statute. This proposal reduces life-saving grant programs for victims, and the proposed elimination of OVW will put victims’ lives at risk. Please oppose this.