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                          HOUSE BILL 2965

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

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

Read first time 01/26/98.  Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice & Corrections.

Revising provisions for crime victims' compensation.

    AN ACT Relating to designating special assistant attorneys general for the crime victims' compensation program; and amending RCW 7.68.050.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

    Sec. 1.  RCW 7.68.050 and 1980 c 156 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) No right of action at law for damages incurred as a consequence of a criminal act shall be lost as a consequence of being entitled to benefits under the provisions of this chapter.  The victim or his beneficiary may elect to seek damages from the person or persons liable for the claimed injury or death, and such victim or beneficiary is entitled to the full compensation and benefits provided by this chapter regardless of any election or recovery made pursuant to this section.

    (2) For the purposes of this section, the rights, privileges, responsibilities, duties, limitations, and procedures contained in RCW 51.24.050 through ((51.24.100 as now existing or hereafter amended)) 51.24.110 apply.

    (3) If the recovery involved is against the state, the lien of the department includes the interest on the benefits paid by the department to or on behalf of such person under this chapter computed at the rate of eight percent per annum from the date of payment.

    (4) The 1980 amendments to this section apply only to injuries which occur on or after April 1, 1980.

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