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Committee reviews bill to extend victims’ compensation filing window from one year to two
Summary
A sponsor presented a bill to expand the filing period for Crime Victims Compensation claims from one year to two years; the commission’s executive director described application intake and outreach via law enforcement and victim service agencies.
The committee considered a bill to expand the statutory filing period for claims to the Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission from one year to two years after the incident.
The bill sponsor told the committee the change is intended to give victims and families more time to file claims after trauma. Edward Johnson, executive director of the Crime Victims Compensation program, described the intake process: law enforcement agencies, victim service organizations and victim advocates notify potential applicants and the program receives and processes applications submitted to the commission. Commissioner Darlene Diferson also appeared and sat with the panel to answer procedural questions.
Why it matters: Extending the filing window may increase the number of eligible claims processed and give victims and their families a longer period to seek compensation for crime‑related expenses.
Process and next steps: Committee members asked about notification and outreach; Johnson said the commission works with law enforcement and victim advocates and offered to follow up with committee members after the hearing. The transcript does not include a committee vote in the provided excerpt.
Ending: The sponsor and commission staff offered to meet with legislators and local stakeholders to discuss implementation and outreach if the measure moves forward.
