Goodlatte Applauds House Passage of Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Crime Victims’ Rights

Washington, D.C. – The House of Representatives today approved by voice vote an amended version of the Justice for All Reauthorization Act of 2016 (S. 2577) to strengthen crime victims’ rights. The bipartisan, bicameral bill – authored by Representative Ted Poe (R-Texas) and Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) – builds on the Justice for All Act of 2004to improve the criminal justice system and ensure public confidence in it. It strengthens crime victims’ rights and programs by increasing access to restitution for federal crime victims. The Justice for All Reauthorization Act also further reduces the rape kit backlog and provides resources for forensic labs, while protecting the innocent by improving access to post-conviction DNA testing. It also improves these programs by increasing accountability for federal funds to protect taxpayer dollars. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) praised today’s approval of the bill in the statement below. Chairman Goodlatte: “For over a decade, the Justice for All Act has done a tremendous amount of good to improve our nation’s criminal justice system and strengthen crime victims’ rights. I am pleased the House has reauthorized and improved the Justice for All Act to further this good work, such as reducing the rape kit backlog so that victims are able to reclaim and rebuild their lives, and providing law enforcement resources to identify the guilty and free the innocent. I thank Representative Poe for his tireless work on these important issues and call on the Senate to swiftly pass the amended bill and send it to the President’s desk to be signed into law.” ###