HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2255

                       As Passed House

                      February 17, 1992

Title:  An act relating to family members of homicide victims.

Brief Description:  Providing for counseling of family members of homicide victims.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Ballard, Locke, Wynne, Wineberry, Wang, Ludwig, Ferguson, Roland, Winsley, D. Sommers, Brough, Forner, Paris, H. Myers, May, Bowman, Mitchell and Tate.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Appropriations, February 9, 1992, DP;

Passed House, February 17, 1992, 98-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 25 members:  Representatives Locke, Chair; Inslee, Vice Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Silver, Ranking Minority Member; Morton, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Appelwick; Belcher; Bowman; Braddock; Brekke; Carlson; Dorn; Ebersole; Lisk; May; Mielke; Nealey; Peery; Pruitt; Rust; D. Sommers; H. Sommers; Valle; Vance; and Wang.

Staff:  Wayne Kawakami (786-7384).

Background:  The Crime Victims program is administered by the Department of Labor and Industries and provides benefits to victims injured as a result of a criminal act, or to the victim's family or dependents in case of death of the victim.  Current benefits provided to family members of a homicide victim include burial expenses and grant payments based on the victim's wages at the time of the homicide The average total grant payments are approximately $3,500 per case.

Summary of Bill:  The bill provides that family members of homicide victims are entitled to counseling benefits to recover from the effects of the homicide.  The perpetrator of the homicide is excluded from eligibility for this benefit.

Fiscal Note:  Requested February 6, 1992.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Provides treatment for the trauma of losing a family member through a homicide.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Representative Clyde Ballard, prime sponsor.