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Legislators pause Senate bill that would broaden uses of Crime Victim Reparation Fund
Summary
Lawmakers heard concerns about Senate Bill 5,002, which would expand allowable uses of a roughly $14 million Crime Victim Reparation Fund. Critics urged limits or a sunset to prevent diverting money from victims to general budget needs; sponsors agreed to 'circle' the bill for further amendment work.
Senate Bill 5,002, presented on the House floor, would broaden allowed uses of the Crime Victim Reparation Fund, a surcharge‑financed account that sponsors say holds about $14,000,000. Representative Bigelow, who presented the measure, said the change ties into current budget discussions and clarifies allowable uses while noting that funds cannot be spent without appropriation.
Representative Daniels, who has long familiarity with the fund's history, warned that the account was created specifically to compensate victims for uninsured medical expenses and limited property losses and cautioned against repurposing it to balance the general budget. He and others urged either a sunset provision or explicit limits so surplus balances would not be captured for unrelated spending. Representative Allen moved to 'circle' the bill to allow the sponsor and staff time to draft amendments addressing sunset dates and percentage limits; the motion to circle was adopted.
Floor discussion included questions about the percentage limits in the bill language, administrative cost allocations, and whether the reparations office would be supplanted by a commission. Several members urged auditing the fund and relaxing eligibility criteria to ensure genuine victims can access reimbursements. The sponsor and backers acknowledged the concerns and agreed to work on amendments off the floor.
