2007 Legislation

2007 LEGISLATION OF INTEREST TO THE VICTIM COMPENSATION AND GOVERNMENT CLAIMS BOARD (VCGCB)

• AB 119 (Price), Chapter 487, Statutes of 2007 - Election: Payment of Expenses
  Provides that expenses incurred on or after January 1, 2007, for elections proclaimed by the Governor to fill a vacancy in the office of State Senator or Member of the Assembly, or to fill a vacancy in the office of United States Senator or Representative in Congress, are to be paid by the state. The provision sunsets on January 1, 2008. The VCGCB administers claims for reimbursement under this provision.
• AB 367 (De Leon), Chapter 132, Statutes of 2007 - Court-Ordered Debts
  (1) Decreases the minimum amount required to refer unpaid debts to the Franchise Tax Board for collection from $250 to $100, and includes debts imposed due to certain traffic offenses that are currently excluded from the collection program. This is a positive for the VCGCB as it expands the use of this cost-effective method of collection. (2) Requires the Judicial Council, on or after July 1, 2009, to establish a task force, to which the VCBCB will appoint one member, to evaluate criminal and traffic-related court-ordered debts imposed against adult and juvenile offenders. The task force must make various recommendations to the Judicial Council no later than June 30, 2010, including regarding the priority in which court-ordered debts should be satisfied. (3) Includes public defender and jail booking fees in the costs that a county or court may deduct prior to distributing revenues to other entities.
• AB 1273 (Leno), Chapter 509, Statutes of 2007 - Government Claims Bill
  The VCGCB's 2007 Government Claims Bill. Appropriates $972,658.47 from various funds to the VCGCB to pay claims accepted by the Board from April 2006 through March 2007 and authorizes applicable surcharges and fees for these claims. Additionally, appropriates $1,765,000 from the General Fund to the VCGCB to pay claims resulting from county special elections costs for elections called by the Governor to fill vacancies in the legislature during 2006.
• AB 1669 (Leno) - Trauma Center Grants
  Requires the VCGCB to administer a program to award up to $3,000,000 in grants, annually, from the VCGCB’s Restitution Fund to trauma centers. Each grant may be no more than $1 million and for a period no longer than two years. Trauma centers must demonstrate that they will match the grant funding from other sources and meet other criteria. (Vetoed)
• SB 81 (Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review), Chapter 175, Statutes of 2007 - Budget Trailer Bill
  Contains language precluding any claim for reimbursement of extradition expenses that is not submitted to the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation within the required six month period from being filed with or reimbursed through the Government Claims Program.
• SB 153 (Migden) - Victim Services
  Reduces by 1.81 percent the portion of the State Penalty Fund that is deposited monthly into the VCGCB's Restitution Fund, and otherwise alters the allocated percentages that are transferred monthly from the State Penalty Fund into various funds. Creates dedicated funds to support Child Advocacy Centers, Victim Trauma Recovery Centers, and the California Witness Protection Program. Further provides that these changes would only become effective if the General Fund achieves ongoing structural balance by July 1, 2015. (Two-year Bill)
• SB 883 (Calderon), Chapter 564, Statutes of 2007 - Victim Compensation
  Makes the following changes to the Victim Compensation Program: (1) Increases the cap on mental health counseling expense for specified victims of crime from $3,000 to $5,000; (2) Allows the board of the VCGCB to reconsider a decision on an application at any time on its own motion.