FINAL BILL REPORT

SB 6788

C 54 L 02

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Authorizing a travel payment for out‑of‑state parents of homicide victims.

Sponsors:  Senators Costa and Hargrove.

Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections

House Committee on Criminal Justice & Corrections

Background:  Crime victims compensation (CVC) benefits are available for dependent family members of victims of crime.  It is not unusual for surviving family members to have extraordinary expenses related to the necessary travel to attend a criminal trial, in particular if they do not live in Washington State, or must travel from overseas.  Current law makes no provision for the extraordinary expenses related to overseas or out-of-state travel.

Summary:  Dependent parents or stepparents of a crime victim are eligible for a lump sum benefit payment if they are asked by a law enforcement agency or prosecutor to attend a criminal trial related to the death of the victim.  Eligible parents may receive a total of $7,500.  If more than one dependent parent is eligible for such a payment, it must be divided among them equally.  This sum is not in addition to the other CVC benefits to which the parents are entitled, but is deducted from the benefit total if it is greater than $7,500.  If the total benefit to which the dependent parents are entitled is less than $7,500, they are entitled to the greater amount of $7,500.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate480

House970

Effective:  June 13, 2002