Committee reviews draft of S.109 judiciary miscellaneous bill, including firearm-surrender working group and intervener compensation changes

Eric Fitzpatrick, legislative counsel with the Office of Legislative Council, reviewed a new draft of S.109, the annual judiciary miscellaneous bill, at the committee’s April 22 meeting, outlining proposed changes and new provisions that the committee may consider in future weeks.

The draft would: expand which interveners can be compensated by the Victims Compensation Board; modify how stalking orders are served; add a new validation rule for older land-record instruments tied to a missing power of attorney; and create a Firearm Surrender Compliance Working Group led by the attorney general to develop statewide standards for storage and return of firearms surrendered under court orders. Fitzpatrick described those items as part of a suite of amendments intended to update and consolidate provisions in the Judiciary miscellaneous bill.

The intervener provision would clarify when an intervener — someone who attempts to assist a crime victim — can receive compensation from the Victims Compensation Board. Fitzpatrick said the draft would limit compensation for interveners to physical injury but would expand the class of people whose protection, if they were being assisted, qualifies the intervener (for example, from just law enforcement officers to the broader set of "protected professionals"…