Skinner Introduces SB 993, Expanding Services for Crime Survivors

State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, today introduced SB 993, which would expand and enhance services for crime victims in California. The legislation would improve access to financial resources available to survivors and increase the amount they can receive from the California Victim Compensation Board. SB 993 would also remove barriers that prevent many crime survivors from receiving assistance, and lessen racial disparities that have impacted access to services.

“While some crime victims in California get much-need assistance, there are far too many survivors that have either been denied or are unaware of the financial help, counseling, and healing services the state has to offer,” Sen. Skinner said. “There should be no distinction about who deserves help when they’ve experienced a criminal act against them. SB 993 will improve and expand the services we offer and help ensure those services are available to all crime survivors. Offering those who were a victim of crime support will also improve public safety and help restore trust in our justice system.”

Under state law, crime victims can receive financial assistance and services via the California Victim Compensation Board. But research shows that the victims’ compensation system is burdened with numerous restrictions that prevent a majority of crime survivors from receiving financial help and the services needed to recover from trauma.

According to a comprehensive 2019 survey of crime survivors, less than one in five California crime victims reported receiving financial help, counseling, medical assistance, and other types of healing services. In fact, only 11% of survivors said they received financial assistance for crime losses and only 12% said they got help paying their medical bills.

Research also shows that even though people of color are more likely to be victimized by crime in California, Black and Brown survivors are more likely to be blocked from receiving financial help — in part because they’re less likely to report crimes to police. Experts say one of the major reasons why people don’t report crimes or they decline to cooperate with law enforcement is a lack of trust between communities of color and the legal justice system, especially among those who have long experienced racially disparate treatment.

“We can no longer allow the majority of California’s survivors of crime and violence to be ignored and excluded from a system not built to help those who need it the most,” said Tinisch Hollins, executive director of Californians for Safety and Justice, a key supporter of SB 993. “We must urgently address the multiple ways the system discriminates against and creates unnecessary barriers for victims from Black, Brown and other underserved communities. It is crucial we both reform the system so existing resources better serve all victims of crime and violence, and close the gaps in healing so survivor-led organizations are able to provide direct, local, community-based support. When we listen to survivors and give them the resources they need to heal, we will see a direct, positive impact on the safety and wellness of all our communities.”

SB 993 would enhance and expand victims’ services in the state by:

• Significantly increasing the amount of financial assistance that crime survivors receive, including for funeral services
• Streamlining the application process to award financial support more quickly
• Addressing eligibility restrictions for people with a history of conviction or who are on probation or parole
• Prohibiting denials of compensation solely for “noncooperation” with law enforcement or the Victim Compensation Board
• Expanding the eligibility criteria for victim relief to include documentation other than a police report, similar to current flexibilities allowed for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking
• Establishing a pilot program for the state to contract with community-based organizations to provide direct cash assistance to survivors of violence
• Adding a member to Victim Compensation Board with experience in restorative justice
• Requiring courts to provide information to crime survivors about the convicted offender’s length of sentence and how the appeals process and eligibility for parole can affect it.

SB 993 would also improve Victim Compensation Board services for people wrongfully convicted of crimes by:

• Increasing the amount of compensation that exonerees can receive for being wrongfully imprisoned
• Allowing reimbursement for reasonable attorneys’ fees for successful claims in front of the Victim Compensation Board
• Providing reimbursement for reasonable amounts that defendants spend on getting their convictions overturned, securing a pardon, or obtaining a finding of factual innocence
• Allowing for reimbursement for days they wrongfully served on parole or probation.
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“People who have been wrongfully convicted of a crime shouldn’t have to hire an attorney at their own expense in order to receive the exoneree support the state has authorized,” Sen. Skinner added. “That’s simply unfair.”

Sen. Nancy Skinner represents the 9th Senate District, is chair of the Senate Budget Committee and vice chair of the Legislative Women’s Caucus.