Meaningful Administration of STOP Sexual Assault Set Aside

The Services * Training * Officers * Prosecutors (STOP) Violence Against Women Formula Grant is awarded to all 56 states and territories to enhance local communities’ capacity to develop and strengthen effective strategies to combat domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The sexual assault set-aside, implemented in 2015, ensures that states and territories dedicate a minimum of 20% of their federal funds to support projects addressing sexual assault. This set-aside aims to enhance communities’ ability to provide comprehensive services to sexual assault victims and improve the criminal justice system’s response to these crimes.

STOP Administrators have the large task of ensuring the requirements in this statute are met. This document was created to explore how Administrators can meaningfully address sexual assault through their grant administration efforts. While grant administrators may not be ‘boots on the ground’ advocates and officers, the work they do greatly defines state/territory wide efforts to meaningfully address sexual assault. Let’s review areas and opportunities to intentionally highlight sexual assault and meaningfully integrate the sexual assault set aside in STOP in planning and execution.