ENGR. S. B. NO. 420 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 420 By: Coleman and Floyd of the Senate and Staires of the House An Act relating to the Oklahoma Crime Victims Compensation Act; amending 21 O.S. 2021, Sections 142.10 and 142.13, which relate to award of compensation and payment of award; increasing time to file certain claim; clarifying requirements for certain exception; providing exception to grounds for diminishing certain award; increasing amounts of certain compensation; updating statutory reference; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STAT E OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2021, Section 142.10, is amended to read as follows: Section 142.10. A. Compensation shall not be award ed: 1. Unless the claim has been filed with the Crime Victims Compensation Board with in one (1) year thirty (30) months after the injury or death upon which the claim is based. If the victim is under a mental or cognitive disability or is a child under e ighteen (18) years of age, the Board may use the date the criminal incident was disclosed to a responsible adult when establishing whether or not the claim was timely filed. In cases involving sexual assault of an adult eighteen (18) years of age or older , the Board may use ENGR. S. B. NO. 420 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 the date the sexual assault forensic evidence kit was tested when establishing whether the claim was timely fil ed. The Board may, at its discretion, extend the filing period beyond one (1) year upon a showing of good cause or in all ca ses of sexual assault; 2. To a claimant who was the offender, or an accomplice of the offender; 3. To another person if the award would unjustly benefit the offender or accomplice ; or 4. Unless after the criminally injurious conduct resulting in injury or death: a. such conduct was reported to a law enforcement officer within seventy-two (72) hours after its oc currence, or b. in the case of sexual assault, the victim undergoes a forensic medical examination within one hundred twenty (120) hours after its occurrence, or c. the Board finds there was g ood cause for the failure to report the crime or obtain a forensic medi cal examination within that the time specified in subparagraph a or b of this paragraph . B. Compensation otherwise payable to a claimant s hall be diminished to the extent: 1. That the economic loss is recouped from collateral sources; or ENGR. S. B. NO. 420 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 2. Of the degree of responsibility for the cause of the injury or death attributable to the victim as de termined by the Board. Provided, a self-inflicted injury shall not be attributable to the victim when the Board finds the injury is a direct result of the crime committed against the victim. C. The Board, upon finding that the claimant or victim has not fully cooperated with appropriate law enforcement agencies, may deny, withdraw or reduce an awar d of compensation. Victims of sexual assault who undergo a forensic m edical examination within one hundred twenty (120) hours after the sexual assault shall be found to have fully cooperated. The Board may ex tend this period of time for good cause. D. The Board, on its own motion or on request of the claimant, may reconsider a decision granting or denying an award or determining its amount. The motion or requ est to reconsider a decision shall be made within six (6) months from the date of the last action by the Board on the claim at issue. An order on reconsideration of an award shall not require a refund of amounts previously paid, unless the award was obtai ned by fraud. The right of reconsideration does n ot affect the finality of a Board decision for the purpose of judicial review. On claims which are denied by the Board, reconsideration may only be granted within six (6) months of the last Board action. ENGR. S. B. NO. 420 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 E. The provisions of subsections A and B of this s ection shall not apply to claimants eligible f or compensation pursuant to the Murrah Crime Victims Compensation Act who make claims under the Oklahoma Crime Victims Compensation A ct. SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2021, Section 142 .13, is amended to read as follows: Section 142.13. A. The Crime Victim s Compensation Board may compensate for work loss, replacement services loss, dependent ’s economic loss and dependent ’s replacement service loss. Compensation for a caregiver who has out-of-pocket wage loss as a result of caring for the victim who was inj ured as a result of criminally injurious co nduct may not exceed Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00). B. Compensation payable to a vic tim and to all other claimants sustaining economic loss because of injury to or death of that victim may not exceed Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) Twenty- five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) in the aggregate. The Board may, after approval of an initia l award of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00), grant an additional sum not to exceed Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00), specifically for loss of wages for the victim o r loss of support for dependents of a deceased victim, provided, there is verifiable economic lo ss after deducting payments from other sou rces. In no event shall compensation payable ENGR. S. B. NO. 420 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 to a victim and to all other claimants sustaining economic loss because of injury to or death of that victim exceed Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00) Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00) in the aggregate. C. The Board may provide for the paymen t to a claimant in a lump sum or in installments. At the request of the claimant, the Board may convert future economic loss, other than allowable expense, to a lump sum. D. An award payable in a lump sum or installments for loss of support for a depende nt of the deceased victim may be computed through a formula which calculates the ne t loss of support for dependents based upon an es timated date of retirement or an estimated date of adulthood for dependent children, beginn ing with the date of death of the victim and ending with the least of one of the following time periods for each dep endent filing loss of support: 1. The amount of time from the date of death of the victim to the date the victim would have been expected t o reach sixty-two (62) years of age; 2. The amount of time from the date of death of the victim to the date the spouse of the victim is expected to reach sixty -two (62) years of age; or 3. The amount of time f rom the date of death of the victim to the date a dependent child is expected to reach eighteen (18) years ENGR. S. B. NO. 420 Page 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 of age or twenty-three (23) years of age if the depend ent child is enrolled as a full-time student. An award payable in installments for future loss of support may be modified by the Board in t he event a dependent child receiv ing loss of support is between the ages of eighteen (18) and twenty -three (23) years of age and is no longer enrolled as a full-time student, the dependent dies before all installments are paid or the dependent receiving in stallments moves and leaves no forwarding address with the Board office. E. An award shall not be subject to execut ion, attachment, garnishment or other process, ex cept for child support and except that an award for allowable expense shall not be exempt f rom a claim of a creditor to the extent that such creditor has provided products, services or accommodations, the co sts of which are included in the award. F. An assignment by the claimant to any future award u nder the provisions of this act Section 142.1 et seq. of this title is unenforceable, except: 1. An assignment of any award for work loss to assure payment of court ordered alimony, maintenance or child support; or 2. An assignment of any award for allowable expense to the extent that the benefits are for the cost of products, servic es or accommodations necessitated by the injury or death on which the claim is based and are provided or to be provi ded by the assignee. ENGR. S. B. NO. 420 Page 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 G. The Board may, in its discretion, approve payment of crisis counseling, occurring within three (3) years of the cri me, in an amount not to exceed Th ree Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00) for each family member of a homicide victim; provi ded, the counselor is a qualified mental health care provider. Medical and pharmaceutical treatment is not compensable for any family membe r of a deceased victim. H. Outpatient counseling expenses for a victim of criminally injurious conduct may be consi dered by the Board provided the counseling is focused on the crime and the counselor is a qualified mental health care provider. A total no t to exceed Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00) may be awarded for individual couns eling sessions for victims of crim inally injurious conduct. Sessions between the mental health care provider and nonoffending parents of a victimized child under eighteen (1 8) years of age may also be included in the award provided the combined total for the counseling and parental sessions do does not exceed Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00) and the parental sessions relate to the victimization. In extreme cases, the Board may, in its discretion, waive the thr ee- thousand-dollar limit. Inpatient mental health treatment will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be compensated, at the discretion of the Board, in an amount not to exceed Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00). ENGR. S. B. NO. 420 Page 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 I. Reasonable funeral, cremation or burial expenses shall not exceed Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($7,500.00 ). J. Reasonable costs associated with crime sce ne cleanup shall not exceed Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00). K. Loss of income of a careg iver shall not exceed Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00). L. Reasonable costs for vehicle impound fees are limited to violent crimes occurring in a vehicle owned by the victim of the violent crime or an eligible claimant, provided such fee is associated with the collection and security o f crime scene evidence. Reimbursement for vehicle impound fees shall not exceed Se ven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00). SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023. Passed the Senate the 21st day of March, 2023. Presiding Officer of the Senate Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, 2023. Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives