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
CONTINUED
AB 1270
Page
2
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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