Gov. Andrew Cuomo during his 2017 State of the State speech in Buffalo on Jan. 9, 2017. (image from New York Governor’s Office)
ALBANY – Governor Andrew Cuomo Wednesday signed legislation (S.7993/A.10275) that expands the benefits available to eligible crime victims, who have not been physically injured, to include reimbursement of crime scene cleanup and domestic violence shelter costs.
The change will allow victims of hate crimes or domestic violence cases, such to apply for compensation for these expenses from the state Office of Victim Services.
Under current law, victims of these crimes who are not physically injured are eligible to seek compensation from the agency for a variety of crime-related expenses, such as medical bills related to counseling and moving expenses, but crime scene cleanup and shelter costs are excluded. Legislation signed by Governor Cuomo amends that law to cover these expenses.
In addition to this expanded eligibility, the Office of Victim Services has implemented other initiatives to help ensure that crime victims and their families get the compensation and support they need to recover. The agency recently awarded more than $20 million in grants over three years so victim assistance programs can hire case managers who will streamline and improve services they provide, and is partnering with the Office for the Aging and two nonprofits to invest $8.4 million in state and federal funds through 2020 to improve and expand services for vulnerable adults at risk of abuse, neglect or financial exploitation.
These additional services and assistance come at no cost to taxpayers. Funding for crime victims’ compensation and the cost of the agency’s day-to-day operations comes entirely from the fines, mandatory surcharges and crime victim assistance fees that certain offenders must pay following conviction in New York State or federal courts.
Leave a Reply