The Coalition of Advocates for Utah Survivors' Empowerment (CAUSE), was established in 1996 with federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) funding as a statewide coordinating coalition of rape crisis providers. CAUSE later became the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault (UCASA). In 1999, the Utah Department of Health, Violence and Injury Prevention Program (VIPP) and UCASA originated the idea of enlisting individuals, organizations, and agencies to participate in a statewide multi-disciplinary council addressing sexual violence. A steering committee was created in 2002 with representation from the Office of Crime Victim Reparations, the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CCJJ), the Rape Recovery Center of Salt Lake, CAUSE and VIPP for constructing a Utah Sexual Violence Council. In 2003, the first executive committee of the USVC was formed with representation from the CCJJ, VIPP and UCASA. This executive committee worked stead-fast to facilitate the convergence and formalization of the new multi-disciplinary council. UCASA serves as the primary coordinating body for the USVC, a multi-disciplinary, statewide advisory council that "promotes a climate where sexual violence is addressed as a priority issue that impacts all Utah communities." Governor Jon M. Huntman worked with UCASA, the Utah Department of Health, and the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CCJJ) to restructure the Utah Sexual Violence Council so that it can be the most influential mechanism to improve the systems that serve victims and perpetrators of sexual violence in Utah.