§015v. (CB) Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund

Cyclopedia

Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund

Summary

The Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund (VCRTF) was established by the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-332, Title 31; 42 U.S.C. 14211; 108 Stat. 2102). As created, the fund authorized approximately $30.2 billion in appropriations over 6 years, FY1995 through FY2000. Funding for the account were usually located in three regular appropriations bills: the Commerce, Justice, State Act; the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Act; and the Treasury, Postal Act.

The VCRTF expired on September 30, 2000 and no funds were appropriated from out of the fund in FY2001. The fiscal year 2002 Budget Appendix of the President’s budget (p. 681) noted that “former VCRTF programs are now funded through general appropriations.”

The main budgetary procedural feature of the VCRTF was that it had a separate discretionary category in its own fund, and even in ensconced in section 251A of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985. It was repealed by the Budget Enforcement Act of 1997 (Pub. L. 105-33).

U.S Code Classification

U.S. Code: 34 U.S. Code § 12631

(a) Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund

There is established a separate account in the Treasury, known as the “Violent Crime Reduction Trust Fund” (referred to in this section as the “Fund”) into which shall be transferred, in accordance with subsection (b), savings realized from implementation of section 5 of the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1994 (5 U.S.C. 3101 note; Public Law 103–226).

(b) Transfers into Fund

On the first day of the following fiscal years (or as soon thereafter as possible for fiscal year 1995), the following amounts shall be transferred from the general fund to the Fund—

(1) for fiscal year 1995, $2,423,000,000;
(2) for fiscal year 1996, $4,287,000,000;
(3) for fiscal year 1997, $5,000,000,000;
(4) for fiscal year 1998, $5,500,000,000;
(5) for fiscal year 1999, $6,500,000,000; and
(6) for fiscal year 2000, $6,500,000,000.

(c) Appropriations from Fund

(1) Amounts in the Fund may be appropriated exclusively for the purposes authorized in this Act and for those expenses authorized by any Act enacted before this Act that are expressly qualified for expenditure from the Fund.

(2) Amounts appropriated under paragraph (1) and outlays flowing from such appropriations shall not be taken into account for purposes of any budget enforcement procedures under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 except section 251A [1] of that Act as added by subsection (g), or for purposes of section 665d(b) [1] of title 2. Amounts of new budget authority and outlays under paragraph (1) that are included in concurrent resolutions on the budget shall not be taken into account for purposes of sections 665(b), 665e(b), and 665e(c) of title 2,[1] or for purposes of section 24 of House Concurrent Resolution 218 (One Hundred Third Congress).

(Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXI, § 310001(a)–(c), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2102)