SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

SENATE, Nos. 263 and 93

with Senate committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JANUARY 29, 1996

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably Senate Bill Nos. 263 and 93 SCS of 1996 with amendments.

      This supplemental appropriation, as amended, appropriates to the Victims of Crime Compensation Board (VCCB) in, but not of, the Department of Law and Public Safety $2,236,000 in federal funds received from the U.S. Department of Justice for crime victim assistance and compensation programs administered by the VCCB. Funds for this award come from federal criminal fines, penalty assessments, and bond forfeitures that are collected by federal prosecutors and the federal courts.

      These federal monies will provide support to victims of violent crimes in this State for the two-year period that began October 1, 1995. The federal money must be obligated before September 30, 1997. The amount of the award is based on the amount of expenditures by the VCCB for crime victim assistance and compensation programs in the previous fiscal year.

      According to the VCCB, a shortfall in collections from offenders to provide money for the victims claim fund has caused the board to limit awards to victims to a maximum of $3,000 beginning December 1, 1995. Payments to providers of services to victims and the balance of moneys awarded to victims has been delayed until additional funds may become available in July of 1996. According to the VCCB, the board anticipates a shortfall in funds needed to pay claims of approximately $3.5 million by the end of this fiscal year.

      These federal funds will enable the board to resume payments to victims and service providers. In Fiscal Year 1995, the board paid $8.02 million in claims; claims payments for Fiscal Year 1996 are projected at $9 million for 2000 victims.

      As amended and reported, this bill is identical to Assembly Bill No. 1413 of 1996 as amended and reported by the Assembly Appropriations Committee on January 29, 1996.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amended the bill to reflect the change in the name of the Violent Crimes Compensation Board to the Victims of Crime Compensation Board. The name was changed by P.L.1995, c.135.

FISCAL IMPACT

      This supplemental appropriation appropriates                 The BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS Committee reports favorable Senate Bill No. 263.to the Victims of Crimes Compensation Board (VCCB) in, but not of, the Department of Law and Public Safety $2,236,000 in federal funds received from the U.S. Department of Justice for crime victim assistance and compensation programs administered by the VCCB.