Bill · H.R. 47· House(119-HR-47)
VOICE Restoration Act
- Introduced
- 1/3/2025
- Last activity
- 1/3/2025 — Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Sponsored by
- Jack Bergman
- Cosponsors
- - 2 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "VOICE Restoration Act," seeks to establish the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office (VOICE) within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The office is intended to support victims of crimes committed by aliens present in the United States without lawful status. It also covers witnesses and legal representatives acting on behalf of victims. The office's duties include using a victim-centered approach, promoting awareness of services, and building community partnerships. Additionally, the office will provide specific assistance such as a hotline and social service referrals.
Yes· 3 of 4
Is this likely to lift people out of poverty?+2
The bill provides victims of crimes access to social service professionals and resource referrals.
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+2
The bill requires the publication of quarterly reports to Congress and the President regarding victimization effects.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+2
The bill assists victims through social service referrals and resource connections.
The opposite
Would immigrants be better off under this?-2
The bill focuses on providing information about the custody and history of undocumented immigrants to victims.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Support for victims and witnesses: The establishment of VOICE would provide assistance to victims of crimes committed by aliens without lawful status, as well as witnesses and their legal representatives (Section 3(a)).
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Access to information and resources: The office is tasked with providing several forms of assistance, which could benefit those impacted (Section 3(c)):
- Communication tools: The creation of a dedicated toll-free VOICE Hotline to answer questions (Section 3(c)(1)).
- Personalized help: The use of local contacts to handle unique requests (Section 3(c)(2)).
- Social services: Access to social service professionals who can refer victims to various resources and service providers (Section 3(c)(3)).
- Information on custody status: Assistance in signing up to receive automated information regarding the custody status of an alien (Section 3(c)(4)).
- Criminal or immigration history: Providing victims or their families with access to additional criminal or immigration history regarding an illegal alien (Section 3(c)(5)).
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Community and family support: The office is directed to use a victim-centered approach to support not only the victims or witnesses but also their families (Section 3(b)(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Poverty Reduction+2Improves Border Security+1
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+2
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+2Good For Immigrants-2
- 11/20/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/18/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/3/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in House
Josh BrecheenRepublican · Oklahoma
Brandon GillRepublican · Texas