HB1232 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB097 05486 RLC 45546 b

97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2011 and 2012
HB1232

Introduced 02/08/11, by Rep. Rita Mayfield

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

725 ILCS 240/3	from Ch. 70, par. 503
725 ILCS 240/7	from Ch. 70, par. 507

Amends the Violent Crime Victims Assistance Act. Provides that any crime victim or his or her family, or both, may apply to the Attorney General for financial assistance from moneys collected by the Violent Crime Victims Assistance Fund. Provides that the Attorney General shall consider factors that he or she deems appropriate in selecting crime victims and their families that will receive moneys from the Fund. Provides that if the Attorney General selects a crime victim or his or her family, or both, to receive moneys from the Fund, the Attorney General shall issue a voucher to be presented to the State Comptroller, who shall examine the voucher in accordance with the State Comptroller Act, and if he or she is satisfied that the voucher meets the requirements of law, the Comptroller shall draw a warrant and present it to the State Treasurer to be countersigned by the State Treasurer. Provides that the warrant shall be returned to the Attorney General who shall mail the warrant to the crime victim or his or her family, or both, for payment of moneys from the Fund for financial assistance to the crime victim or his or her family, or both. Effective immediately.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning criminal law.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Violent Crime Victims Assistance Act is amended by changing Sections 3 and 7 as follows:

(725 ILCS 240/3) (from Ch. 70, par. 503)

Sec. 3. Definitions. As used in this Act:

(a) "Advisory Commission" means the Violent Crimes Advisory Commission created in Section 4 of this Act;

(b) "Fund" means the Violent Crime Victims Assistance Fund created in Section 10 of this Act;

(c) "Agency" or "agencies" means any federal, State, local or private entity which provides, operates or coordinates victim and witness assistance programs; .

(d) "Crime victim" has the meaning ascribed to it in Section 3 of the Rights of Crime Victims and Witnesses Act.

(Source: P.A. 83-908.)

(725 ILCS 240/7) (from Ch. 70, par. 507)

Sec. 7. Administration of Fund. The Attorney General shall administer the disbursement of monies collected by the Fund in accordance with the following procedures.

(a) Any public or private nonprofit agency may apply to the Attorney General for selection and funding as a victim and witness assistance center pursuant to this Act.

(a-5) Any crime victim or his or her family, or both, may apply to the Attorney General for financial assistance from moneys collected by the Fund. The Attorney General shall consider factors that he or she deems appropriate in selecting crime victims and their families that will receive moneys from the Fund. If the Attorney General selects a crime victim or his or her family, or both, to receive moneys from the Fund, the Attorney General shall issue a voucher to be presented to the State Comptroller, who shall examine the voucher in accordance with Section 9 of the State Comptroller Act, and if he or she is satisfied that the voucher meets the requirements of law, the Comptroller shall draw a warrant and present it to the State Treasurer to be countersigned by the State Treasurer. The warrant shall be returned to the Attorney General who shall mail the warrant to the crime victim or his or her family, or both, for payment of moneys from the Fund for financial assistance to the crime victim or his or her family, or both.

(b) The Attorney General shall consider the following factors together with any other circumstances he or she deems appropriate in selecting victim and witness assistance centers applicants to receive funds and to be designated as victim and witness assistance centers:

(1) Stated goals of applicants;

(2) Commitment and ability to provide the services described in Section 8 of this Act;

(3) Number of people to be served and the needs of the community;

(4) Evidence of community support;

(5) Organizational structure of the agency;

(6) Maximization of volunteers.

(c) After evaluation of all applicants, the Attorney General shall select a number of applicants which the Attorney General deems qualified under this Act for designation to receive funding pursuant to this Act as individual crime victims or family members of crime victims or for the establishment and operation of the centers. Funding contracts shall be entered into by the Attorney General with each designated victim and witness assistance center applicant on an annual basis. The Attorney General may impose matching funds requirements on victim and witness assistance center grant recipients. The Attorney General may evaluate each victim and witness assistance center recipient prior to each fund dispersal and cancel the remaining term of any contract in which the recipient has failed to meet the contract requirements or for any good cause.

(Source: P.A. 90-139, eff. 1-1-98.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.