Crime Victims Assistance Act of 2003

Bill: 108-s-805
Sponsor: Sen. Leahy, Patrick J. [D-VT]
Introduced: 2003-04-07 in the Senate
Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Appellate procedure
Case management
Civil actions and liability
Closed-circuit television
Community-based corrections
Compensation for victims of crime
Conferences
Congress
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Continuum of care
Correctional institutions
Corrections
Court records
Criminal justice information
Criminal procedure
Day care
Deaf
Death
Department of Justice
Detention of persons
Disabled
Disciplining of employees
Dismissal of employees
Economics and Public Finance
Education
Elementary and secondary education
Employee training
Evaluation research (Social action programs)
Executive reorganization
Families
Federal aid to Indians
Federal aid to law enforcement
Federal budgets
Federal employees
Federal law enforcement officers
Federal-local relations
Federal-state relations
Fugitives from justice
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Government spending reductions
Government statistics
Government trust funds
Governmental investigations
Health
Hearing aids
Indian law enforcement
Juvenile delinquency
Labor and Employment
Language and languages
Mediation
Mental health services
Mental illness
Minorities
Pardons
Parents
Parole
Parties to actions
Performance measurement
Pleas (Criminal procedure)
Preschool education
Pretrial procedure
Prison alternatives
Probation
Prosecution
Public prosecutors
Public service advertising
Rehabilitation of criminals
School-age child care
Science, Technology, Communications
Sentences (Criminal procedure)
Social Welfare
Speedy trial
State laws
Strategic planning
Telecommunication systems
Terrorism
Translating and interpreting
Victims of crimes
Victims of terrorism
Witnesses

Summary:
action_date: 2003-04-07
text: Crime Victims Assistance Act of 2003 - Amends: (1) the Victims' Rights and Restitution Act of 1990 to require a responsible official to arrange for a victim to receive reasonable protection from a suspected offender, to consult with a victim prior to a detention hearing, and to consider the victim's views about any contemplated plea agreement; (2) the Federal criminal code to require the judicial officer to inquire regarding the victim's views on detention; and (3) Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure to prohibit the court from entering a judgment upon a guilty plea without inquiring regarding the victim's views.
Provides for expanded victim's rights regarding standing to attend the trial and rights at sentencing. Specifies victim rights regarding notice of sentence adjustment, executive clemency, and the death of the offender in custody.
Directs the Attorney General to promulgate regulations to enforce victims' rights and to establish and carry out pilot programs regarding victims' rights.
Amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to authorize grants for: (1) state-of-the-art systems for notifying crime victims of important dates and developments; (2) restorative justice programs; (3) interdisciplinary coordinated service programs for crime victims; and (4) the extension of services to victims with special communication needs.
Modifies provisions regarding the formula for Crime Victims Fund distributions.
Directs that any limitation on spending from the Fund included in the President's budget or enacted in appropriations legislation for FY 2004 or any subsequent fiscal year not be scored as discretionary savings.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-04-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4271)
action_date: 2003-04-07
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (text of measure as introduced: CR S4903-4907)
action_date: 2003-04-07
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S4902-4903)
action_date: 2003-04-07
text: Introduced in Senate