VICTIM Act of 2026

Overview

The Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods Act of 2026, known as the VICTIM Act of 2026 (H.R. 8746), would establish a new grant program within the Department of Justice to improve the clearance rates of homicides and firearm-related violent crimes through enhanced investigative methods and technology. The program is run by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and emphasizes training, technology upgrades, victim supports, and civil rights protections.

Main purpose and intent

• Improve how quickly and effectively law enforcement agencies clear violent crime cases, particularly homicides and firearm-related offenses.
• Fund and standardize the adoption of advanced investigative methods, evidence processing, and forensic capabilities.
• Improve coordination among agencies, strengthen community relations, and support victims and their families.

Key provisions and changes

• Definitions
  • Establishes terms such as clearance by arrest, clearance by exception, clearance rate, eligible entity, grant recipient, and rural.
• Grant program (section 2)
  • Within 180 days of enactment, the Attorney General must create a grant program to fund eligible entities (State, Tribal, or local law enforcement or groups of such agencies) to implement violent incident clearance and technological investigative methods.
  • Eligible projects must aim to raise clearance rates for homicides and firearm-related violent crimes.
  • Applications must describe proposed projects; selection criteria focus on plan quality and broad geographic distribution, including rural vs. urban considerations.
• Eligible uses of grant funding
  • Hiring and training additional investigators; retaining current staff.
  • Hiring and training for evidence collection, processing, and forensic testing.
  • Upgrading or acquiring investigative, evidence-processing, or forensic technology and equipment.
  • Developing evidence-based programs and training to improve clearance rates.
  • Analyzing violent crime patterns and trends; employing GVPA or similar methodologies.
  • Policies to safeguard civil rights and civil liberties during investigation and processing.
  • Supporting officers' well-being; trauma support programs.
  • Improving internal agency cooperation, supervision, and accountability; setting clear goals and performance metrics; strengthening community relationships; and fostering interagency collaboration.
  • Ensuring access to emergency support services for victims and families (food, housing, travel, etc.).
  • Training on trauma-informed interviewing; ensuring language and disability access.
• Supplement not supplant
  • Grant funds must supplement, not replace, existing federal and non-federal funding.
• Hiring standards
  • When hiring investigators, recipients must check for prior disciplinary records via the National Decertification Index and related databases.
• Reporting requirements
  • Recipients must report annually (beginning 1 year after receiving a grant and continuing through FY 2032) on personnel, training, equipment upgrades, effectiveness of technology, civil rights protections, and victim services data (including demographics and outcomes).
• Collaboration and geography
  • If multiple agencies collaborate on a cleared case, only the initiating agency reports the clearance.
  • The Attorney General must ensure broad geographic distribution, including rural and urban areas.
• Oversight and audits
  • Inspector General audits of grant recipients for waste, fraud, and abuse; mandatory exclusions for unresolved audit findings.
  • Annual certifications to Congress on audit status and exclusions.
• Evaluation and reporting to Congress
  • National Institute of Justice will conduct biennial evaluations of practices and victim services effectiveness, with Congress receiving a report 30 days after each evaluation.
• Streamlined application process
  • The bill requires a report within 60 days of enactment outlining a streamlined application process (targeting not more than a 2-hour application) and pilot provisions for technical assistance.
• Funding
  • Authorized appropriations of $60 million per year for FY 2027–2031.
  • At least 5% of funds must be reserved for Tribal entities and at least 5% for rural entities.

Who is affected

• Eligible State, Tribal, and local law enforcement agencies (and combinations of such agencies) that apply for and receive grants.
• Victims and families of victims of homicides and firearm-related violent crimes, through enhanced services and support.
• Communities in both urban and rural areas, with emphasis on improving clearance outcomes and maintaining civil rights protections.

Timeline and procedural notes

• Enactment triggers establishment of the grant program within 180 days.
• Streamlined application process plan to Congress within 60 days of enactment.
• Funding authorized for five fiscal years (2027–2031).
• Annual reporting and biennial National Institute of Justice evaluations, with Congressional reports following each evaluation.
• Ongoing audit and oversight by the Department of Justice Inspector General.

This summary captures the bill’s aims to boost clearance rates for violent crimes through targeted funding, technology upgrades, personnel training, victim supports, and robust oversight.