SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6788

As Passed Senate, February 15, 2002

Title:  An act relating to benefits for dependent parents of homicide victims.

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

Sponsors:  Senators Costa and Hargrove.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Human Services & Corrections:  2/6/02 [DP].

Passed Senate:  2/15/02, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass.

Signed by Senators Hargrove, Chair; Costa, Vice Chair; Carlson, Franklin, Hewitt, Kastama, Kohl‑Welles, Long and Stevens.

Staff:  Edith Rice (786-7444)

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 of Bill:  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.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Families are often devastated by the effects of violent crime.  Although of minimal impact, this measure would be helpful.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Jenny Wieland, Kimala Renton, Families and Friends of Violent Crime Victims; Joan Guenther, Washington Coalition of Crime Victim Advocates.