SupportStatementOMB_2005Updated_(2)[1]

SUPPORTING STATEMENT

CRIME VICTIM COMPENSATION STATE CERTIFICATION FORM

1. JUSTIFICATION

1. Necessity of Information Collection

The Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), as amended, was signed into law in 1984. VOCA established the Crime Victims Fund. Each year, millions of dollars are deposited into this Fund from criminal fines, forfeited bail bonds, penalty fees and special assessments collected by U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Courts, and the Bureau of Prisons. VOCA delegates the authority to make formula grant awards to states from this Fund for the Victims Compensation and Assistance programs to the Director of the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). (See attached copy of VOCA).

Section 1403(a)(1) of VOCA provides that the Director of OVC shall make an annual grant from the Fund to an eligible crime victim compensation program for 60% of the amount awarded during the preceding fiscal year. The implementing Victim Compensation Program Guidelines, as published in the Federal Register on May 16, 2001, clarify and discuss this requirement in greater detail. To assist the states and OVC with this requirement, OVC has developed the Crime Victim Compensation State Certification Form to collect the financial data from the states. (See attached copy of the Crime Victim Compensation State Certification Form and the Crime Victim Compensation Program Guidelines).

2. Needs and Uses

VOCA and the Victim Compensation Program Guidelines require each state crime victim compensation program to submit a Victim Compensation State Certification Form disclosing all sources of state revenue available to the crime victim compensation program during the FFY. The amount of certified revenue, excluding VOCA Funds, subrogation recoveries, and amounts awarded for property, must meet or exceed the amount of certified payments to crime victims. The total amount to be certified by the state program must include only those amounts paid from state funding sources to or on behalf of crime victims during the FFY. Without this information, OVC cannot calculate the annual grant award amounts for VOCA state crime victim compensation programs.

3. Efforts to Minimize Burden

OVC provides each state victim compensation program with electronic access to the standard certification form and instructions for recording and submitting the information requested. This form can be completed and submitted electronically. Since the inception of each state crime victim compensation program, this information has been maintained and tracked by each program. Therefore, each program should not have to alter its collection methods. OVC does not foresee any technical or legal obstacles to complying with this requirement. The majority, if not all, of the information requested on the form should be readily available to the state crime victim compensation programs.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication

There is no duplication based on the program nature of state crime victim compensation programs. There is no alternative source for the collection of financial information necessary to assess the total state payments eligible for matching Federal crime victim compensation grant awards under VOCA.

5. Methods to Minimize Burden on Small Business

Collection of information does not pertain to small business or other small entities.

5. Consequences of Less Frequent Collection

The annual collection of information has been reduced to the least number of submissions possible. If the information was collected less frequently, the annual VOCA victim compensation grant awards could not be calculated.

5. Special Circumstances

There are no special circumstances.

5. Public Comments and Consultations

OVC has on a continuous basis requested input from VOCA victim compensation administrators and staff via telephone contacts, training and technical assistance conferences, and working groups.

9. Provision of Payment or Gift to Respondents

The information OVC request is specifically designed to determine state allocations, and award to state compensation programs. No payment of gift is provided to a grantee for providing this information.

9. Assurance of Confidentiality

The nature of the information is non-personal, non-specific to individual persons, information is based on collections; therefore, no assurance of confidentiality is necessary.

9. Justification for Sensitive Questions

These are not questions of a sensitive nature. No information commonly considered as private is included in the proposed requested information.

9. Estimate of Respondent’s Burden

A total of 53 respondents will be asked to complete the annually Crime Victim Compensation State Certification Form. The annual hour of burden is based on the approved burden of one reporting hour for each respondent. An estimated cost for the 53 respondents is based on the time required for one GS‑11 (equivalent) financial analyst to identify and record financial data. The estimated annualized cost for the 53 respondents is $1431.00 (not including benefits). Estimated cost is calculated at $27.00 per hour for one staff person at the GS‑11 (equivalent) grade level.

1 hour x 53 respondents = 53 hours. 53 hours x $27.00 per hour = $1431.00.

9. Estimate of Cost Burden

Because the respondents have been collecting this information since the inception of their programs, no capital or start‑up costs will be incurred by the respondents. All VOCA-funded crime victim compensation programs have been operating for at least four years and have maintained the important financial data which is needed for this form.

9. Cost to Federal Government

There is no additional cost to the Federal Government.

9. Reason for Change in Burden

No change.

9. Anticipated Publication Plan and Schedule

The results of this collection of information are not planned to be published for statistical purposes. This collection of information does not require the employment of statistical methods.

9. Display of Expiration Date

OVC has no objection to displaying the expiration date for OMB approval of the information collection.

9. Exception to the Certification Submission

None. There are no exceptions identified in Item 19, “Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submission,” of OMB Form 83-I.