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Wednesday, U.S. Congressman Tom Reed supported increasing funding for a number of vital programs for sexual assault survivors with the reauthorization of the Commerce, Justice and Science Appropriations Act of 2016, HR 2578.

"I am extremely proud to have supported this legislation. By passing this bill, Congress is taking strides to ensure that victims of sexual assault have access to a well funded, impartial judicial system, and the resources they need for recovery," said Reed.

The bill specifically provides funding increases to programs aimed at preventing sexual assault and helping survivors find justice, including the Violence Against Women Prevention and Prosecutions programs with an additional 44.5 million dollars over the previous fiscal year.  This amount is roughly half a million dollars over the President's request. The bill also increases funding to specifically ensure that local law enforcement agencies have access to sexual assault kits when conducting investigations.

This bill also gives significant funding increases to law enforcement programs including the Adam Walsh Act and the Missing and Exploited Children program.

The bill also provides a variety of funding increases for law enforcement programs including roughly 41 million dollars to the Byrne Justice Assistance Grants which offers financial assistance to local and state law enforcement entities to improve and strengthen their functions across the states. Additionally, the bill provides roughly 11 million dollars specifically dedicated toward the cleanup of Methamphetamine labs.

"Our local law enforcement officers put their lives on the line for us every day," said Reed. "I care about making sure they have access to the resources they need to continue doing a great job keeping us safe."

The bill goes onto the Senate for additional consideration.

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