SRC-DPW S.B. 1734 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 1734 76R8408 PEP-DBy: Ratliff Criminal Justice 3/29/1999 As Filed DIGEST Currently, the maximum amount of money available to a victim of crime or his dependants from the Crime Victims Compensation Fund is $50,000. However, the $50,000 limit applies only to individuals who were victims of a crime committed on or after September 1, 1999. This bill would allow the attorney general's office to extend benefits up to $50,000 to a dependant of a crime victim if they had filed an application for compensation and the application had been approved prior to September 1, 1997. PURPOSE As proposed, S.B. 1734 provides that Article 56.42(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, applies to an application for compensation for criminal injurious conduct. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Provides that notwithstanding Section 2, Chapter 1434, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997, Article 56.42(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, as amended by that Act, applies to an application for compensation for criminally injurious conduct (injury) occurring before the effective date of that Act if the application was filed by, or on behalf of, a dependant of a victim who died as a result of injury and in a timely manner and was approved by the attorney general before the effective date of this Act. SECTION 2.Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.