SB 955

Current law provides rights to crime victims and witnesses. The rights for

victims attach once the crime has been reported to law enforcement. This bill

requires the Department of Justice to award grants to law enforcement agencies to

provide services to crime victims and witnesses between the time a crime is reported

until a person is charged for the crime. Under the bill, a law enforcement agency may

apply for such a grant by submitting a plan to DOJ. The plan must provide that the

agency will create a position of a victim and witness service coordinator who will

ensure that victims and witnesses receive services. The bill requires a law

enforcement agency that receives a grant to provide to DOJ data on services it

provides to victims and witnesses and requires DOJ to submit a comprehensive

report on the grant program after five years. The bill terminates the grant program

after five years.

The bill establishes another grant program, administered by DOJ, that

provides grants to law enforcement agencies and prosecutorial units to provide

protection services to victims of crime, including temporary housing for crime

victims. The bill provides $5,000,000 biennially for such grants.

Under current law, DOJ provides reimbursement to counties for costs incurred

in providing services to victims and witnesses of crime. The bill increases funding

for these reimbursements by $3,250,000 in each fiscal year of the 2021-23 biennium.

The bill provides an additional $10,000,000 in the 2021-23 biennium for crime

victim services provided by DOJ across the state.

The bill also provides additional funding for higher education and for special

education aid the Department of Public Instruction pays to school districts,

independent charter schools, cooperative educational service agencies, and county

children with disabilities education boards for purposes of maintaining compliance

with maintenance of effort requirements of the federal Consolidated Appropriations

Act and the federal American Rescue Plan Act.