Sexual Violence Funding Reaches New Heights in State Budget
State increases funding for sexual violence services
TRENTON, N.J. – Yesterday, Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed the state’s FY19 budget, which includes $4.6M in appropriations for sexual violence services. This is the highest amount ever appropriated for critical sexual violence prevention, education, and response in the Garden State.
“We are grateful to Governor Murphy and the state legislature, especially our tenacious budget resolution sponsors, Senator Weinberg and Assemblywoman Pintor-Marin, who successfully articulated the critical need to address funding gaps for sexual violence services in New Jersey,” said Patricia Teffenhart, executive director of the New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault. “As we encourage victims and survivors to come forward in the era of #MeToo, access to the free and confidential services of New Jersey’s 21 county-based rape crisis centers is critical. With this budget, the governor and the legislature recognized and met the needs of both survivors and those who serve them.”
The governor’s budget allocated $4.1M for sexual violence services, with an additional $500,000 now coming in legislative appropriations. Previously, N.J. sexual violence services were funded almost entirely through legislative add-ons.
Over 1.8M survivors of sexual violence live in the state of N.J. According to the CDC, 43.6 percent of women and 24.8 percent of men will experience contact sexual violence in their lifetime.
ABOUT NJCASA: NJCASA (www.njcasa.org) is the statewide technical assistance, and capacity building organization that represents New Jersey’s twenty-one county-based rape crisis centers, and the Rutgers University Office of Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance. NJCASA elevates the voice of sexual violence survivors and service providers by advocating for survivor-centered legislation, training allied professionals, and supporting statewide prevention strategies that work to address and defy the socio-cultural norms that permit and promote rape culture.
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