Rape Survivor Child Custody Act (RSCCA) Application Due Date
While you may have already seen the below message from OVW, we wanted to be sure that you saw the RSCCA application due date notice from Amy Loder:
Good morning and happy New Year.
Applications and certification letters for the Rape Survivor Child Custody Act (RSCCA) funds are due by 11:59 pm ET April 18, 2019. Documents must be submitted to OVW at OVW.RSCCA@usdoj.gov. OVW will not be able to consider a state’s application or certification if it is submitted after this date.
RSCCA money is subject to the availability of appropriated funds and any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law. There is no guarantee that funds will be available in FY 2019, or in the future. At the present time, a final FY 2019 budget has not been approved. Therefore, it is not guaranteed that RSCCA funds will be available in FY 2019. However, RSCCA funding has been available in FY 2016, FY 2017, and FY 2018. Therefore, OVW is following precedent by alerting you to the 2019 RSCCA process and due date.
This is the fourth year that RSCCA funds are available to states. In FY 2019 there are two types of applicants: 1) those that received RSCCA funds previously; and 2) those that never received RSCCA funds. Required documents for each applicant type are listed below.
States that received Rape Survivor Child Custody Act funds previously
States that received RSCCA funds previously and wish to receive them again in FY 2019 must submit a letter addressed to the Acting Director of OVW stating that no changes have been made to state law and that the state is still in compliance with the requirements of the RSCCA. The letter must be signed by the state Attorney General or another state official with authority to make binding legal determinations.
States that never received Rape Survivor Child Custody Act funding
States that have never received RSCCA funding (i.e., those that applied but did not meet the requirements of the law or those applying for the first time) must submit a legal opinion stating that the state meets the requirements of the law and citing any statutory or case law or other authorities relied on in making the determination. This legal opinion may be in the form of a letter addressed to the Acting Director of OVW and must be signed by the state Attorney General or another state official with authority to make binding legal determinations. Although the information provided by the state will inform OVW’s decision, OVW will make the final eligibility determination.
Please contact your OVW program manager if you have any questions.
Best,
Amy