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S1294 FISCAL ESTIMATE
LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE
SENATE, No. 1294
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
DATED: MARCH 10, 2026
SUMMARY
Synopsis:
Permits exception to VCCO compensation reporting
requirement for unreported sexual offenses if victim received certain
forensic medical services.
Type of Impact:
Annual increase in State expenditures.
Agencies Affected:
Department of Law and Public Safety.
Office of
Legislative Services Estimate
Fiscal Impact
Annual
State Expenditure Increase
Indeterminate
�
The
Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds the annual expenditure increases
associated with this bill to be indeterminate, as there are no data with which
to evaluate the fiscal impact on the Department of Law and Public Safety�s
Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) resulting from additional
administrative expenses and the payment of additional claims.
�
This
bill expands the instances for which VCCO compensation is permitted to include payments
to victims of certain sex offenders who did not report the offense to law
enforcement, but did receive forensic medical services from a county sexual
assault response team.� As a payer of last resort, the office would incur these
costs in situations where insurance or medical coverage has not made these
payments otherwise.
BILL DESCRIPTION
����� This bill permits an order of payment by the Victims
of Crime Compensation Office to individuals who have received forensic medical
services from a county sexual assault response team for a sexual offense that
has not been reported to the police or other appropriate law enforcement
agency.
����� Under current law, in order to receive compensation
from the office, an applicant is required to have reported the sexual offense
to the police or other appropriate law enforcement agency.
����� Under this bill, an applicant is not required to have
reported the offense to the police or other appropriate law enforcement agency
if the applicant has received forensic medical services from a sexual assault
response team established under current law for aggravated sexual assault,
sexual assault, aggravated criminal sexual contact, or criminal sexual contact.
FISCAL ANALYSIS
EXECUTIVE BRANCH
����� None received.
OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES
����� The OLS finds the annual expenditure increases
associated with this proposed legislation to be indeterminate, as there are no
data with which to evaluate the fiscal impact on the Department of Law and
Public Safety�s Victims of Crime Compensation Office (VCCO) resulting from
additional administrative expenses and the payment of additional claims.
�����
VCCO Expenditures
: This bill expands the
instances for which VCCO compensation is permitted to include individuals who
have received forensic medical services from a county sexual assault response
team for a sexual offense that has not been reported to the police or other
appropriate law enforcement agency.
����� According to the VCCO, in FY 2024 there were 428 claims
filed under the category of sexual assault and $1,678,351 expended for those
claims.� In FY 2023 there were 436 claims filed under the category of sexual
assault and $1,743,875 expended for those claims.
Victims of Crime Compensation
Office
Number of Sexual Assault Claims
& Awards*
Fiscal Year
Number of Claims
Total Award Amount
FY 2024
428
$1,678,351
FY 2023
436
$1,743,875
FY 2022
122
$488,045
FY 2021
131
$326,382
* New Jersey
Victims of Crime Compensation Office FY 2023-2024 Report and FY 2021-2022
Report
����� Currently, a crime must be reported to the police
within nine months after it occurs, or within nine months from the time it was
known or believed to have occurred.� The OLS does not know how many survivors
of unreported sexual assault would request a VCCO claim.� The New Jersey
Coalition Against Sexual Assault�s website indicates that one in three New
Jersey residents have experienced sexual violence at some point in their
lives.� Depending on the number of qualifying claimants and the resource
allocation policies of the office, the added responsibilities of investigating
and processing additional cases may or may not increase State administrative
expenditures.
����� The OLS notes that the amount of compensation payable
to a victim, provider, and to any other claimant, sustaining economic loss
because of injury to or death of that victim, however, may not exceed $25,000. �In
addition, as a payer of last resort, the VCCO would only incur these costs in
situations where insurance or medical coverage have not made these payments
otherwise.
����� The following table summarizes compensable benefits
from the Victims of Crime Compensation Office.
Victims of Crime Compensation
Office Compensable Benefits*
Compensable Benefit
Explanation
Medical
Expenses
Medically
related expenses that are not covered by other insurance or benefits programs.
Mental
Health Counseling
Mental
health counseling up to $20,000 for a direct victim and up to $7,000 for
immediate family members.
Loss of
Support for Dependents
Loss of
support for dependents in homicide cases and from the offender in domestic
violence/sexual assault cases. Maximum of $600 per week not to exceed 48
months.
Temporary
Loss of Earnings
Temporary
loss of earnings for direct victims up to $600 per week not to exceed 24
months; permanent loss of earnings not to exceed 5 years.
Funeral
Expenses
Funeral
expenses of up to $7,500.
Bereavement
Benefits
Bereavement
benefits of up to two weeks.
Transportation
Limited
transportation costs for funerals and medical treatment.
Childcare
Childcare,
day care and after school care costs up to $6,500.
Domestic
Service
Limited
domestic service up to $6,500 for non-medically related service expenses that
provide day-to-day living support for a victim or claimant.
Crime Scene
Cleanup
Crime scene
cleanup expenses up to $4,000.
Relocation
Relocation
expenses up to $3,000 when necessary as a result of the crime where the
health and safety of the victim are jeopardized.
Reimbursement
For Stolen Cash
Reimbursement
for up to $1,000 in stolen cash resulting from assault and robbery, if the
victim is at least 60 years old or determined to be disabled and meets
financial guidelines.
Attorney
Fees
Attorney
fees at $275 per hour, up to $10,000.
Catastrophic
Benefits
Catastrophic
Benefits � Supplemental
Home/Vehicle
Modification
$35,000 for
home/vehicle modification and rehabilitative services only.
* New Jersey
Victims of Crime Compensation Office FY 2023-2024 Report
Section:
Law and Public Safety
Analyst:
Kristin Brunner Santos
Lead Fiscal Analyst
Approved:
Thomas Koenig
Legislative Budget and Finance Officer
This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the
Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to
respond to our request for a fiscal note.
This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980,
c.67 (C.52:13B-6 et seq.).