Terrorism and criminal mass violence leave victims with serious physical and emotional wounds and challenge government officials and communities to respond immediately with appropriate efforts. Victim assistance and compensation providers face the daunting task of coordinating effective and timely responses, providing information and assistance to victims, and working closely with other agencies and victim service organizations.

OVC Can Help

Through the Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program (AEAP), OVC supports victims and jurisdictions that have experienced incidents of terrorism or mass violence. AEAP is designed to supplement the available resources and services of entities responding to acts of terrorism or mass violence in order to ensure that a program’s resources are sufficient and/or not diverted to these victims to the detriment of other crime victims.

Following the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma, Congress amended the 1984 Victims of Crime Act, authorizing OVC to establish an Antiterrorism Emergency Reserve (Emergency Reserve) using resources from the Crime Victims Fund (the Fund). Every year, OVC can access up to $50 million from the Emergency Reserve that is available beyond the appropriation level for the Fund that Congress establishes annually. The OVC Director can use these Emergency Reserve funds for AEAP.

Qualified applicants include state victim assistance and compensation programs; public agencies, including federal, state, and local governments; federally recognized Indian Tribal governments, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior and published in the Federal Register; U.S. Attorneys’ Offices; public institutions of higher education; and nongovernmental and victim service organizations.

OVC also created the Helping Victims of Mass Violence and Terrorism: Planning, Response, Recovery, and Resources Toolkit to help communities prepare for and respond to victims of mass violence and terrorism in the most timely, effective, and compassionate manner possible.