FINAL BILL REPORT

                  HB 2965

                          C 91 L 98

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Revising provisions for crime victims' compensation.

Sponsors:  Representatives Ballasiotes, Costa, Hatfield, Linville and McDonald; by request of Department of Labor & Industries.

House Committee on Criminal Justice & Corrections

Senate Committee on Law & Justice

Background:  The Crime Victims Act of 1973 established Washington's Crime Victims' Compensation Program (CVCP) to provide benefits to innocent victims of criminal acts.  The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) was assigned authority for administering the program because benefits available to crime victims under this program were originally based on benefits paid to injured workers under the Industrial Insurance Act.

Benefits under the CVCP include medical and mental health costs, disability payments and benefits for survivors of deceased victims.  All benefits paid by the CVCP are secondary to available insurance resources of the victim.

The industrial insurance program uses private attorneys appointed by the Office of the Attorney General in making recoveries for costs incurred by the L&I and injured workers due to the liability of third parties.  The CVCP does not have a similar program to help recover money from convicted offenders and third parties.

Summary:  The Crime Victims' Compensation Program (CVCP) is authorized to designate private attorneys as special assistant attorneys general to pursue civil legal actions against criminal offenders and third parties for costs incurred by injured crime victims and the CVCP.

Votes on Final Passage:

House970

Senate450

Effective:June 11, 1998