Section 1520.40  Application and Receipt of Victims of Crime Act of 1984 Funds

a)         The Authority will annually review Section 1404 of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 (P.L. 98-473, effective October 12, 1984) and based on the requirements of Section 1404(a) and (b), the need for services to victims and the services available to address that need, as evidenced by oral and written comment and testimony received at public meetings conducted pursuant to the Open Meetings Act (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1983, ch. 102, par. 41 et seq.), select program priorities for each federal fiscal year.  Such funding priorities shall be selected by the Authority at a public meeting in conformance with the Open Meetings Act and the Authority's rules (2 Ill. Adm. Code 1750.310 et seq.).

b)         For purposes of determining the distribution of federal funds made available to the State of Illinois through the Victims of Crime Act of 1984, the Authority shall give priority to those units of local government and not-for-profit organizations providing assistance to victims of sexual assault, spousal abuse, or child abuse. To that end, based upon the funding priorities selected by the Authority pursuant to subsection (a) above, the Executive Director shall use the following evaluation criteria to identify those units of local government and not-for-profit organizations eligible for the receipt of federal funds:

1)         demonstration of either a record of providing effective services to victims of crime and financial support from sources other than the Victims of Crime Fund or substantial financial support from sources other than the Victims of Crime Fund;

2)         utilization of volunteers in providing such services;

3)         promotion within the community served of coordinated public and private efforts to aid crime victims;

4)         assistance of potential recipients in seeking crime victim compensation benefits;

5)         an analysis of need as evidenced by demographic and criminal justice data; and

6)         current research findings.

A unit of local government or not-for-profit organization, so identified, shall be contacted by the Executive Director to assess its interest in and ability to qualify for the receipt of federal funds pursuant to the requirements of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 and, if so interested and so qualified, to prepare a description of programs or services that identifies the problem to be addressed, states goals and objectives, and indicates the means by which the unit of local government or not-for-profit organization proposes to achieve those objectives.  A unit of local government or not-for-profit organization not so identified by the Executive Director shall, however, upon written request to the Executive Director, be included among those units of local government or not-for-profit organizations evaluated by the Executive Director pursuant to the criteria described herein.

c)         The Budget Committee shall, at a public meeting, designate programs or services, implementing agencies, and amounts for funding which address one or more of the program priorities specified by the Authority in subsection (a) above, consistent with the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 and the Program Guidelines for Crime Victim Assistance Grants of the Department of Justice, Office of Justice programs (50 FR 43011, et seq., October 23, 1985).  The Budget Committee's decision to designate these programs or services, implementing agencies and fund amounts shall be based upon equal consideration of the following factors:

1)         the recommendations of the Executive Director made pursuant to subsection (b) above;

2)         comments from the public and State and local officials;

3)         the availability of funds; and

4)         the overall cost of the program or services.

d)         Pursuant to Section 1402(d)(2) of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 and the Program Guidelines for Crime Victim Assistance Grants, the Application to the Office for Victims of Crime shall include a table of fund allocations and those certifications and assurances listed in Section 1404 of the Victims of Crime Act of 1984.

e)         Upon notification by the Office for Victims of Crime that an Application has been approved, the Executive Director shall enter into interagency agreements with the implementing agencies designated by the Budget Committee pursuant to subsection (c) above, specifying the terms and conditions under which the programs, services, or activities are to be conducted and the federal funds are to be received.  If the Authority is the designated implementing agency, then the Executive Director shall document such terms and conditions, which, to become effective, must be accepted in writing by the Chairman of the Authority.