A few weeks ago, I met someone who told me that a bill I authored didn’t just change a policy — it saved a life.

The bill extended workplace protections to the family members supporting crime victims. Because of that law, a sister can take time off to help her sibling and their kids find a safe house and new schooling, away from an abuser and without the fear of losing her own paycheck. It reinforced that victim services isn’t just a line item in a budget; it is the bridge between a person’s worst day and their first day of healing.

As someone who serves on both the Assembly health policy and budget committees — and as a survivor myself — I know how terrifying that bridge can be. I hear stories of the paralyzing weight of choosing between your safety and your housing, or your healing and your job.

For decades, the federal Victims of Crime Act has been the backbone of this support system. In California, nearly one million people — our neighbors, coworkers, and friends — rely on VOCA-funded programs every year. These programs provide forensic exams after an assault, vans that pick up someone fleeing violence, legal aid for a restraining order, rent for emergency shelter, and counseling that helps to process trauma and begin healing.

But today, these programs are at risk. Due to drastic cuts in federal funding, the organizations that victims of crime rely on are facing a crisis. Without our intervention, we aren’t just looking at reduced services. We are looking at locked doors, laid-off advocates, and thousands of survivors left to navigate their violence and trauma alone.

Last year, I was proud to champion a $100 million state investment to fill this same federal gap. It was a lifeline that kept programs running. However, the federal outlook remains bleak, and the peril for our local organizations has only intensified.

That is why I am again leading a bipartisan group of colleagues in requesting another $100 million to backfill VOCA funding.

It’s simple. If we choose not to fund these services, we are choosing to turn our backs on the mother fleeing domestic violence who now faces homelessness, as domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness for women. The elderly neighbor suffering from abuse who has no one to call for help. The survivor of human trafficking who needs trauma-informed care to reclaim their full freedom.

We often talk about public safety in terms of sirens and courtrooms. But true safety is also about stability. It is about a survivor of sexual assault having access to a forensic exam and trauma-informed care through Medi-Cal. It is about the programs that give a family a locked door and a warm bed so they don’t have to return to an abuser just to have a roof over their heads.

When we fund these programs, we aren’t just spending money; we are investing in the resilience of our communities. We are ensuring that the cycle of violence is broken rather than repeated.

California has always been a leader in compassion and progress. Now, we have a responsibility to prove it. Stabilizing VOCA-funded programs is one of the most impactful decisions we can make this year. When we support survivors, we aren’t just helping them survive — we are giving them the chance to truly live again.

Pilar Schiavo, D-Chatsworth, represents the 40th Assembly District, which includes most of the Santa Clarita Valley in addition to the northwest San Fernando Valley. “Democratic Voices” appears Tuesdays and rotates among local Democrats.

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