BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                       



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                  AB 1270|
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                                 THIRD READING


          Bill No:  AB 1270
          Author:   Torrico (D)
          Amended:  As introduced
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE  :  7-0, 6/9/09
          AYES:  Leno, Benoit, Cedillo, Hancock, Huff, Steinberg,  
            Wright

           SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE  :  Senate Rule 28.8 

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  73-0, 5/14/09 (Consent) - See last page  
            for vote


           SUBJECT  :    Victims compensation:  procedure

           SOURCE  :     Author


           DIGEST  :    This bill requires the Victims Compensation and  
          Government Claims Board to:  (1) adopt written procedures  
          and timeframes for approving or denying applications for  
          reimbursement; and (2) institute specified procedures for  
          communicating with specified entities, such as law  
          enforcement and medical providers, when verifying claims  
          for reimbursement.  

           ANALYSIS  :    Existing law provides that crime victims and  
          derivative victims, as defined, may be awarded compensation  
          by the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims  
          Board (VCGCB) from the State Restitution Fund, a  
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          continuously appropriated fund, for the pecuniary losses  
          they suffer as a direct result of criminal acts.  The board  
          is required to approve or deny applications, based on  
          recommendations of the board staff, within an average of 90  
          calendar days and no later than 180 calendar days of  
          acceptance by the board or victim center.



          This bill requires the Victims Compensation and Government  
          Claims Board, for the purposes of meeting the requirement  
          for the timely processing of applications, to adopt written  
          procedures and timeframes for approving or denying  
          applications and specified procedures for use in  
          communicating with entities when verifying the required  
          information.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  Yes    
          Local:  No

          SUPPORT  :   (Verified  6/19/09)

          Crime Victims United of California


           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    According to the author's office:

               In December 2008, the State Auditor listed several  
               recommendations to improve the Victims Compensation  
               and Governmental Claims Program.  One recommendation  
               was to develop written procedures for managing the  
               workload at the VCGCB as well as to develop a  
               comprehensive plan for priorities.  

               In June 2008, the VCGCB began processing claims  
               exclusively through a new system, the Compensation and  
               Restitution System (CaRES).  

               This bill will make it easier for victim's to file and  
               receive claims with the VCGCB by requiring for the  
               VCGCB to have written procedures and time frames in  
               place.









                                                               AB 1270
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          3

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :
          AYES:  Adams, Anderson, Arambula, Beall, Bill Berryhill,  
            Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield, Brownley,  
            Buchanan, Caballero, Charles Calderon, Carter, Chesbro,  
            Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De La Torre, De Leon, DeVore,  
            Duvall, Emmerson, Eng, Evans, Feuer, Fletcher, Fong,  
            Fuller, Furutani, Galgiani, Gilmore, Hagman, Hall,  
            Harkey, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman,  
            Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Krekorian, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie  
            Lowenthal, Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nava, Nestande,  
            Niello, Nielsen, John A. Perez, V. Manuel Perez,  
            Portantino, Price, Ruskin, Salas, Silva, Skinner,  
            Solorio, Audra Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres,  
            Torrico, Tran, Villines, Yamada
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Ammiano, Fuentes, Gaines, Garrick,  
            Saldana, Smyth, Bass


          RJG:nl  6/19/09   Senate Floor Analyses 

                         SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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