BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



          SENATE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
                             Senator Ricardo Lara, Chair
                            2015 - 2016  Regular  Session

          AB 1140 (Bonta) - California Victim Compensation and Government  
          Claims Board
          
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          |Version: August 18, 2015        |Policy Vote: PUB. S. 7 - 0      |
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          |Urgency: No                     |Mandate: Yes                    |
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          |Hearing Date: August 27, 2015   |Consultant: Jolie Onodera       |
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          *********** ANALYSIS ADDENDUM - SUSPENSE FILE ***********
             The following information is revised to reflect amendments 
                     adopted by the committee on August 27, 2015


          Bill  
          Summary:  AB 1140 would revise numerous provisions of law  
          governing the California Victim Compensation Program (CalVCP),  
          as specified. 


          Fiscal  
          Impact:  
            CalVCP benefits  :  Significant increase in CalVCP payments  
            potentially in excess of $800,000 (Special Fund*) annually due  
            to expanded and revised eligibility criteria, most  
            significantly due to the changes in eligibility criteria  
            related to lack of cooperation with law enforcement.
            CalVCP administration  :  One-time costs to the Board for  
            resource needs potentially in excess of $150,000 (Special  
            Fund*) for programming changes necessary to the automated  
            claims processing system. Ongoing increased administrative  







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            workload for claims processing of increased applications.
            Federal fund impact  :  Potential future increases in annual  
            federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grant funds of 60 percent  
            reimbursement for state funds used to compensate victims to  
            the extent the annual cap on VOCA fund obligations is  
            adequately raised or removed. Additionally, VOCA grant awards  
            are based on state expenditures from prior years, so any  
            potential increases to the VOCA grant award would not be  
            received until 2018-19 at the earliest. 


          *Restitution Fund



          Author  
          Amendments:  Make the following changes:
                 Specify the Board shall not require an applicant to  
               submit documentation from the Internal Revenue Service, the  
               Franchise Tax Board, the State Board of Equalization, the  
               Social Security Administration, or the Employment  
               Development Department to determine eligibility for  
               compensation. Specify the Board may require and use  
               documentation from these entities to verify the amount of  
               compensation for income or support loss.


                 Require the initial application materials sent by the  
               Board to an applicant to be written in various specified  
               languages. If the applicant selects one of the languages  
               listed, requires the Board to send all subsequent  
               communications in that language.


                 Specify the Board shall not create or comply with a  
               regulation or policy that mandates a lower maximum  
               potential amount of an award of less than $7,500 for  
               funeral and burial expenses.


                 Require the Board to allow a service animal to accompany  
               and support a witness while testifying.










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                 Provide that a victim at a restitution or modification  
               hearing may testify by live, two-way audio and video  
               transmission if available at the court.


                 Delete the increase in the daily compensation rate for  
               wrongful convictions and make other technical changes.


                 Add Senators Hancock and Nielsen as principal coauthors.  





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