LRB-5993/1

EAW:ekg&wlj

2021 - 2022 LEGISLATURE

2021 Assembly BILL 1083

March 7, 2022 - Introduced by Representatives Sortwell and Steffen. Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

AB1083,1,5 An Act to renumber 949.05; to renumber and amend 949.01 (6); to amend 949.035 (1), 949.04 (3), 949.06 (1) (intro.), 949.06 (3) (intro.), 949.08 (1), (1m) (a) and (2) (a) and (b) and 949.15 (1); and to create 949.01 (6) (b), 949.03 (2), 949.05 (2m) and 949.06 (3m) of the statutes; relating to: providing victim compensation for damage to building from arson.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill adds damage to a building as a result of arson to the types of injury that may be compensated under the victim compensation program.

Under current law, the Department of Justice administers a program that compensates victims and their relatives for economic loss due to personal injury or death that results from the commission of a crime. Allowable expenses include loss of income, medical treatments, and replacement value for property held for evidence, and certain other types of expenses that are not paid by insurance or paid for by the perpetrator of the crime. Under current law, a person may not receive an award under the victim compensation program unless the victim suffered personal injury or death as a result of the crime, and the allowable expenses to be paid do not generally include property damage as a result of the crime. Current law limits the amount to be paid for each personal injury or death to $40,000.