Spotlight Announcement

6/5/2009: House Appropriations Subcommittee includes $114 million for Second Chance Act

On Thursday, June 4, 2009, the House Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee approved a draft appropriations bill for fiscal year 2010 that includes $114 million for Second Chance Act programs. The bill, which contains $64.4 billion in total budget authority, provides $3.4 billion for state and local law enforcement programs, including:

• $12 million for Mentally Ill Offender and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA)
• $529 million for Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (JAG)
• $124 million for Byrne Discretionary Grants
• $298 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) hiring program
• $45 million for drug courts
• $30 million for Residential Substance Abuse Treatment for State Prisoners
• $300 million for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program
• $426 million for the Office of Violence Against Women
• $325 million for sex offender and child exploitation prevention and enforcement programs under the Adam Walsh Act
• $1.5 billion for border security programs

Subcommittee approval is only the first step in the appropriations process. The appropriations bills must be passed by both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, as well as the full House and Senate. The full House Appropriations Committee is expected to mark up the measure on June 9, and the House is expected to take it up during the week of June 15.