Senate Judiciary advances bill directing 50% of insurers' criminal restitution to DOJ victim services

The Senate Committee on Judiciary on May 20 voted to send House Bill 3816A to the floor with a due-pass recommendation, advancing a proposal that would require an insurance carrier that receives a criminal restitution award to pay 50% of the amount collected to the Oregon Department of Justice to fund victim services.

The measure “establishes that when an insurance carrier receives an award of criminal restitution, the insurer must pay 50% of the award to the Department of Justice to fund victim services,” a committee presenter said during the work session. The presenter also explained that “the full amount of restitution award is credited to the defendant towards any resulting civil judgment.”

The bill applies only to dollars actually collected by the court. As one example offered during the…