[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 190 (Wednesday, October 1, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 59298]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-23343]


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DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE

Office of Justice Programs

[OJP (OVC) Docket No. 1672]

Office for Victims of Crime


Amendment to the Anti-Terrorism and Emergency Assistance Program 
Guidelines

AGENCY: Office for Victims of Crime.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, 
Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) announces a minor clarifying 
amendment to its Anti-Terrorism Emergency Assistance Program (AEAP) 
Guidelines.

DATES: This amendment will go into effect on October 31, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eugenia Pedley, Program Manager, 
Office for Victims of Crime, at 202-307-5983.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of 
Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) published a notice 
soliciting comments on the proposed amendment to the Anti-Terrorism 
Emergency Assistance Program (AEAP) Guidelines (available at 67 FR 
4822, and at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2002-01-31/pdf/02-2299.pdf), on July 18, 2014 (79 FR 42055), and received no comments. 
OVC now amends section V.D. of its AEAP Guidelines, as described in the 
July notice, to read as follows:

    D. Crime Victim Compensation Grants are designed to provide 
supplemental funding to a state crime victim compensation program 
that reimburses victims for out-of-pocket expenses related to their 
victimization in cases of terrorism or mass violence occurring 
within the United States. Grant funds may be used to pay claims to 
victims for costs that include, but are not limited to, medical and 
mental health counseling costs, funeral and burial costs, and lost 
wages. (See Section VI for other allowable activities and costs.) 
Emergency Reserve funds may not be used to cover property damage or 
property loss. (See ``Definitions'' section of these Guidelines.) 
OVC may provide funding to the state program, public agencies, or 
other organizations to cover expenses not traditionally covered 
(whether in amount or type) by state crime victim compensation 
programs. OVC will coordinate such awards with state crime victim 
compensation programs, in the event that such an award is made to 
another organization.
    In the event that a state recovers expenses on behalf of a 
victim from a collateral source, the amount recovered must be used 
either (1) to assist other victims of the same crime for which funds 
were awarded, or (2) returned to OVC and deobligated in accordance 
with the applicable provisions of the OJP Financial Guide and 
Section 1402(e)of VOCA.

    As noted in the July notice, the amendment is not intended to, and 
will not, affect any state authority governing state compensation 
programs. It merely clarifies that that state administering agencies 
for state crime victim compensation programs may apply for and 
administer (if awarded discretionary funding by OVC, if the state 
accepts the funding, and if allowable under state law and regulation) 
supplemental crime victim compensation grants that cover reimbursement 
of expenses not traditionally covered (in amount and/or type) by the 
applicant state's crime victim compensation program. The amendments 
corrects a potential ambiguity so as to reduce potential delay in 
awarding critical funding after an incident of mass violence or 
terrorism.

Joye E. Frost,
Director, Office for Victims of Crime.
[FR Doc. 2014-23343 Filed 9-30-14; 8:45 am]
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