SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5811

                As Passed Senate, April 8, 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:  Senators Roach, Schow and Fairley; by request of Department of Labor & Industries.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Ways & Means:  2/27/97, 3/4/97 [DP].

Passed Senate, 4/8/97, 47-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators West, Chair; Deccio, Vice Chair; Strannigan, Vice Chair; Bauer, Fraser, Hochstatter, Kohl, Long, Loveland, McDonald, Sheldon, Snyder, Spanel, Swecker, Thibaudeau and Winsley.

Staff:  Maura Sullivan (786-7431)

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.

Testimony For:  Adding victims of terrorism to the crime victims= compensation program would maintain the state=s eligibility for a federal grant.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO: Cletus Nnanabu, Department of Labor and Industries, Crime Victims= Compensation Program Manager.