SENATE BILL REPORT

                   HB 1932

                     As of March 27, 1997

Title:  An act relating to including terrorism committed outside of the United States in the definition of criminal act for the purposes of crime victim compensation and assistance.

Brief Description:  Including foreign terrorism in the definition of criminal act for the purposes of crime victim compensation and assistance.

Sponsors:  Representatives Costa, Ballasiotes, Sheahan, Scott, O'Brien, Wensman, Blalock, Kessler, Conway, Mason and Tokuda; by request of Department of Labor & Industries.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Law & Justice: 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Staff:  Dick Armstrong (786-7460)

Background:  The Department of Labor and Industries administers the crime victims= compensation program which provides financial, medical and mental health benefits to the victims of violent crimes.  Benefit payments provided by the program are secondary to all other insurance benefits including private insurance, public assistance and worker compensation.  Funds for the program come from fees, fines and assessments collected by the criminal justice system along with federal grants.

To be eligible for compensation, the criminal act must have occurred either in Washington or outside the state against a Washington resident (if that state does not have a crime victims= compensation program).

Recent federal legislation requires states= crime victim compensation programs to include state residents who are victims of terrorist acts in foreign countries.  States must enact this provision to continue to receive federal crime victim compensation grants.  The state expects to receive about $6 million in the 1997-99 biennium from federal grants.

Summary of Bill:  For the purposes of crime victims= compensation, the definition of a criminal act is expanded to include an act of terrorism committed against a Washington State resident outside the United States.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.