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HB 231

Virginia Retirement System; enhanced retirement benefits for animal control officers.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Ellen McLaughlin

HB 231 adds assault, battery, criminal sexual contact, and armed robbery to crimes eligible for Crime Victims Reparation Act reparations; no new funding; near-term impact minimal.

Left in Appropriations
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Bill Summary · HB 231

Summary — HB 231: “Additional Crimes for Reparations”

Status: Action postponed indefinitely (bill not advancing at this time)
Introduced: 2025 (filed in 2025 session)
Subject: Crimes & penalties / Victim compensation (Crime Victims Reparation Act)

Purpose / Intent

HB 231 would expand the set of crimes for which victims may seek compensation under the state Crime Victims Reparation Act, broadening financial and related reparations eligibility to cover additional violent offenses. The change is intended to extend victim compensation to people harmed by certain assaults and robberies who previously were not included among enumerated qualifying offenses.

Key provisions

  • Amends Section 31-22-8 (Crime Victims Reparation Act) to add the following offenses to the list of crimes qualifying for victim reparations:
    • Assault
    • Battery
    • Criminal sexual contact
    • Armed robbery
  • Retains the Act’s existing rule that awards are not available for loss or damage to property (i.e., compensation remains focused on bodily injury and related eligible losses).
  • No separate appropriations are included in the bill text.

Who would be affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: victims of the newly enumerated offenses (assault, battery, criminal sexual contact, armed robbery) who meet other eligibility criteria for the Crime Victims Reparation Commission (CVRC).
  • State agencies and entities involved in administering or referring victims to compensation programs: Crime Victims Reparation Commission, Administrative Office of the Courts, District Attorneys’ offices, Public Defender offices, Department of Health, Attorney General, and others that interact with victim services.
  • Potential indirect effect on legislative budgeting if increased claims require future appropriations.

Fiscal and operational impact

  • Multiple agency responses and fiscal notes indicate no anticipated significant direct fiscal impact in the short term:
    • The Legislative Finance Committee and responding agencies concluded the bill “does not require additional appropriations” and “does not generate new revenue.”
    • The CVRC noted it has historically used alternative methods to cover incremental expenses and does not expect a significant financial impact but cautioned demand could rise.
  • Impact is characterized as indeterminate but expected to be minimal initially; however, sustained increases in claims could create pressure for future funding or policy adjustments.
  • Administrative impacts could include modest increases in application processing and outreach needs to notify eligible victims of the expanded coverage.

Timing / Effective date

  • The bill text contains no specific effective-date clause; by default it would take effect 90 days after adjournment of the legislative session in which it is passed (the fiscal-note analysis gave an example effective date of June 20, 2025).
  • Current procedural status: the measure was postponed indefinitely and is not currently advancing.

Notes / considerations

  • Expanding enumerated crimes typically increases the pool of eligible claimants; whether expanded eligibility translates to substantially higher claims depends on public awareness, outreach, and claimant behavior.
  • Policymakers may want to monitor CVRC caseloads and funding levels if the bill is reintroduced or revived, and consider outreach to underrepresented victim groups to ensure equitable access to compensation.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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