YDC claims administrator outlines backlog, budget and suggests mediation to speed settlements

John Broderick, appointed YDC claims administrator, told the Senate Finance Committee that the claims administration established under the statute (identified in materials as 21 M11A) has processed roughly 1,100 filings since the opening of intake. He said 296 claims have closed with awards, 31 were dismissed or withdrawn and 808 remain pending as of the March 31 quarterly report.

Broderick said the administration follows valuation grids and statutory caps the legislature approved, and described a multi-track resolution process that includes claimant intake, hearing-team resolution proceedings and direct settlements coordinated with the attorney general’s office. “The legislation, as I’ve said many times, is ingenious,” Broderick said, describing the system as “trauma informed and victim centered” while noting the program’s heavy workload.

Broderick and Jen Foley, general counsel for YDC claims administration, told senators the fund’s operations budget and the settlement appropriations are separate. The administration’s operating budget is paid through an interagency mechanism with the Judicial Branch and the Attorney General’s Office; Broderick said his office has proposed an operations budget of about $2,500,000 per year. He said that historically their operations…