[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 160 (Thursday, October 2, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H10653-H10654]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          NATIONAL CRIME VICTIM LAW INSTITUTE REAUTHORIZATION

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
Senate bill (S. 3641) to authorize funding for the National Crime 
Victim Law Institute to provide support for victims of crime under 
Crime Victims Legal Assistance Programs as a part of the Victims of 
Crime Act of 1984.
  The Clerk read the title of the Senate bill.
  The text of the Senate bill is as follows:

                                S. 3641

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. REAUTHORIZATION.

       Section 103(b) of the Justice for All Act of 2004 (Public 
     Law 108-405; 118 Stat. 2264) is amended in paragraphs (1) 
     through (5) by striking ``2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009'' each 
     place it appears and inserting ``2010, 2011, 2012, and 
     2013''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Cannon) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and 
include extraneous material.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Michigan?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I would like to remind our Members that the measure before us 
reauthorizes funding for the National Crime Victims Law Institute, 
which supports critical crime victims' legal assistance programs that 
help crime victims enforce their legal rights in a number of vital 
respects.

[[Page H10654]]

                              {time}  1315

  Many of these programs provide financial assistance directly to crime 
victims. Others help victims receive proper notification of case 
developments, and still other assistance may come in the form of 
providing staff for victims' rights organizations and legal assistance 
to victims. Some of these victims are elderly, some are poor, and some 
are people that just can't afford any legal costs at all.
  Violent crime victims may be emotionally and physically traumatized 
and therefore unable to assert their rights effectively, and victims of 
identity theft may be financially devastated as a result of loss of 
savings or destroyed credit.
  So I am very pleased to bring this measure to the floor, and I urge 
support for it.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I rise in support of S. 3641, a bill to authorize funding for the 
National Crime Victim Law Institute to provide support for victims of 
crime under Crime Victims Legal Assistance Programs as part of the 
Victims of Crime Act of 1984.
  In 2007, over 1.4 million Americans were victims of violent crime and 
nearly 10 million were victims of property crime. All too often, many 
of these victims are not given a voice in criminal proceedings. Many 
crime victim organizations around the country such as the National 
Crime Victim Law Institute work tirelessly every day to ensure that the 
interests and needs of crime victims are represented throughout the 
trial process.
  The National Crime Victim Law Institute, housed at the Lewis and 
Clark Law School, was founded in 1997 as a resource for crime victims 
and crime victim lawyers to further the enforcement of crime victims' 
rights in criminal and civil proceedings.
  The institute is a national network of pro bono legal clinics that 
represent victims of crime in State, Federal, and tribal courts as they 
assert and seek enforcement of their rights. Since 2004 the institute 
has successfully launched and provided ongoing assistance to these 
legal clinics. This network of clinics has provided legal counsel to 
over 1,000 crime victims in criminal cases, thereby ensuring victims' 
rights and voices are honored.
  The institute ensures the success of the clinics through regular 
legal research and expert consultation on the clinics' cases and 
through rigorous training in victim law for each clinic and its 
partners.
  S. 3641 ensures that the valuable work of the institute will continue 
and that crime victims will be given justice by the courts and made 
whole again by their offenders.
  I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the Senate bill, S. 3641.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. CANNON. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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