Jane Doe呼籲麻州議會撥款1380萬元支援性侵與家庭暴力受害者

 (Boston Orange編譯) 反性侵與家庭暴力聯盟 Jane Doe Inc. 發佈聲明，公開向正在辯論預算案的麻州參議院施壓，要求立法者必須在 2027 財政年度（FY27）預算中，額外納入一筆 1,380 萬美元的 TRUST 專項資金。

聯盟直言，雖然麻州州長奚莉（Maura Healey）與眾議院先前承諾將預算「恢復」至 2025 財政年度（FY25）水準，但這只是維持現狀，根本無力抵抗今年夏天即將來臨的聯邦資金大削減。若參議院不肯額外撥款這筆 1,380 萬美元，全麻州近 100,000 名性侵與家暴倖存者的受助服務將直接面臨斷餉危機。

這筆被要求強行加碼的經費，是由麻州受害者協助辦公室（Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, MOVA）所提出，目的是作為救命錢，用來填補聯邦缺口並保障高風險群體。

Jane Doe Inc.認為，如果參議院最終拒絕這筆撥款，麻州公共衛生部（Massachusetts Department of Public Health, DPH）旗下的緊急住房、危機熱線，以及針對移民、難民與 LGBTQIA+ 邊緣化倖存者的專項服務，都將在幾個月內因資金乾涸而陷入瘫痪。

Jane Doe Inc., The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, has released the following statement on the FY27 state budget process:

"In her Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget request earlier this year, Governor Maura Healey proposed restoring FY25 funding levels for domestic violence and sexual assault service providers through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. In late April, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed their version of the FY27 budget, which matched the Governor’s request, and last week, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means advanced their own recommendations, which also restored this critical state funding to FY25 levels.

At the same time – as the legislature continues to debate the FY27 budget – service providers are facing dramatic reductions in Federal funding. The reductions, set to hit programs this summer, will put services for nearly 100,000 survivors at grave risk, including many from the most marginalized survivor communities. In response, we urge lawmakers in the Senate to also include the $13.8 million TRUST line in the budget, as requested by Massachusetts Office for Victim Assistance, to protect programming for the most at-risk survivors. 

Jane Doe Inc., the Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, is grateful for the Governor and legislature’s efforts so far to restore vital state funding that supports the life-saving work of service providers across Massachusetts, including emergency housing services, hotlines for those experiencing violence or in crisis, intimate partner abuse education, support for immigrant, refugee, and LGBTQIA+ survivors, and more. Restoring funding through DPH to FY25 levels helps, but the depth of federal cuts means service providers will still be facing significant shortfalls. In the face of escalating attacks on survivors and their communities, we are hopeful state lawmakers will do more to safeguard support for our most marginalized communities and help ensure the safety and healing of survivors across the Commonwealth."