Panel advances debate on AB329 to widen evidence and extend deadlines for Nevada victim compensation

Assemblymember Erica Roth told the Senate Judiciary Committee that Assembly Bill 329 would change Nevada’s victims‑compensation program to make it more accessible to survivors who do not report to law enforcement immediately.

Under the proposal, sponsors said, victims would have up to 60 months (five years) to apply for compensation; minors could apply until age 26 or 60 months after turning 21, with good‑cause waivers available; the bill would remove a requirement that victims file a police report within five days and cooperate with investigators as a condition of eligibility; and the program director would be allowed to accept alternative documentation such as medical records, protection orders, victim‑service provider records and affidavits from qualified third‑party professionals.

Why it matters: Supporters said strict timing and mandatory police cooperation currently bar many survivors from getting reimbursement for medical costs, counseling, relocation and funeral expenses. Advocates argued that expanding acceptable proof and extending deadlines would reach victims who first seek help from non‑police resources and would thereby increase access and later cooperation with law enforcement.

Serena Evans, policy director for the Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, told the committee the bill “trusts survivors to make the choices that best support their healing” and cited national and state reporting gaps: she said domestic violence is underreported and that in 2023 Nevada law‑enforcement records showed about 28,698 domestic‑violence reports while coalition member programs served roughly 34,000 people, a discrepancy advocates used to illustrate unmet need.

Tyler Winkler, supervising attorney at the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada’s Resiliency and Justice Center, described how the current police‑cooperation requirement excludes victims who later can document their injuries. “My client James … spent almost a year in a coma and rehab recovering … but because he never filed a police report, he was ineligible for victim compensation,” Winkler said, urging alternative evidence pathways and a reimbursement model tied to documented expenses.

Committee members pressed sponsors on fraud guardrails and typical awards. Winkler and other presenters said the program remains reimbursement‑based and requires documentary proof (medical bills, receipts, invoices) of the costs claimed; affidavits would be filed under penalty of perjury and program staff would still review the sufficiency of evidence. Winkler said the statutory cap for compensation in Nevada is $35,000 and that benefits are reimbursed for eligible categories (medical treatment, mental‑health care, relocation, funeral costs and lost wages). Serena Evans and others noted federal VOCA (Victims of Crime Act) funding provides a major share of the compensation program and that the federal government does not require police cooperation as a condition for federal reimbursement.

Supporters from multiple organizations — including the Nevada District Attorneys Association, Giffords (public‑safety nonprofit), the Clark County Public Defender’s Office, disability advocates and victims‑service organizations — provided testimony backing the bill. No callers registered opposition during the hearing.

No committee vote was recorded at the conclusion of testimony. Sponsors and stakeholders said they would work with staff on technical language and potential regulatory implementation steps before the bill returns for committee action.