An Act To Create a Victims' Compensation Fund for Victims of Property Crimes
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1550
Committee Amendment CA_A_S305 (Senate)
Amends: 5 MRSA §3360-A, 17-A MRSA §2018

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " (\ " to S.P. 487, L.D. 1550, Bill, "An Act To 
Create a Victims' Compensation Fund for Victims of Property Crimes" 
Amend the bill by inserting after the enacting clause and before section 1 the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §3360-A, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 1991, c. 806, §3, is 
amended to read: 
1. Establishment and membership. There is established within the Department of 
the Attorney General the Victims' Compensation Board. The board consists of J. .2. 
members appointed by the Attorney General. One member must be a physician licensed 
to practice medicine in the State; one member must be an attorney licensed to practice 
law in the State; aad one member must be experienced in working with victims of crime~ 
and, beginning July 1, 2022. one member must be knowledgeable about insurance claims 
regarding property damage or replacement and one member must represent the public. 
Sec. 2. 5 MR.SA §3360-A, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 1991, c. 806, §3, is amended 
to read: 
6. Quorum. Two members of the board constitute a quorum and, beginning July 1. 
2022, 3 members of the board constitute a quorum. 
Sec. 3. 5 MR.SA §3360-A, sub-§7, as enacted by PL 1991, c. 806, §3, is amended 
to read: 
7. 
Rules. 
The board may adopt rules pursuant to the Maine Administrative 
Procedure Act to carry out the purposes of this chapter and, beginning July 1, 2022, the 
purposes of chapter 316-C. 
Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine 
technical rules as defined by chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 4. 5 MR.SA §3360-A, sub-§8 is enacted to read: 
8. Duties. The board shall perform the duties assigned to it in this chapter and, 
effective July 1. 2022, the duties assigned in chapter 316-C.' 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" /t "to S.P. 487, L.D. 1550 ( ~'.:)- 00S) 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §3360-S in subsection 3 in the 4th and 5th lines (page 
1, lines 33 and 34 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "Notwithstanding any other law, 
the court may not waive the imposition of the assessment required by this subsection." 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §3360-S by striking out all of subsection 4 (page 2, 
lines 6 to 20 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'4. 
Eligibility. 
The board may award compensation under this chapter to an 
individual who: 
A. Suffers a property loss as a result of a crime; or 
B. Would otherwise be eligible for compensation, even though: 
(1) 
The criminal conduct occurred in this State but within the exclusive 
jurisdiction of the United States; or 
(2) The property loss resulted from conduct that violates a criminal law of the 
United States.' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §3360-S in subsection 8 in the 2nd line (page 3, line 5 
in L.D.) by striking out the following: "$5,000" and inserting the following: '$1,000' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §3360-S in subsection 11 in paragraph B in the 2nd 
line (page 3, line 42 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "2020" and inserting the 
following: '2022' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §3360-S in subsection 11 by striking out all of 
paragraph C (page 4, lines 1 and 2 in L.D.) and inserting the following: 
'C. The board is not authorized to process or pay claims under this chapter before 
July 1, 2022.' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 1 the following: 
'Sec. 2. 17-A MRSA §2018, as enacted by PL 2019, c. 113, Pt. A, §2, is amended 
to read: 
§2018. Restitution for benefit of victim 
When compensation is awarded from the Victims' Compensation Fund pursuant to 
Title 5, chapter 316-A or the Victims' Property Compensation Fund pursuant to Title 5, 
chapter 316-C, the amount of any restitution ordered to be paid to or for the benefit of the 
victim and collected as part of a sentence imposed must be paid by the agency collecting 
the restitution in an amount not to exceed the amount of the payments from the fund, 
directly to the fund if, when added to the payments from the fund, the restitution exceeds 
the victim's actual loss. 
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT 
Courts - Supreme, Superior and District 0063 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" fl "to S.P. 487, L.D. 1550 ( S "3 0 '.S-\ 
Initiative: Provides one-time funding for technology-related modifications to allow the 
courts to assess additional fees. 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2019-20 
$10,000 
$10,000 
2020-21 
$0 
$0 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment adds 2 members to the Victims' Compensation Board, amends its 
quorum from 2 to 3 members and clarifies that the board performs the duties assigned to 
it under the victims' property compensation program beginning July 1, 2022. 
The 
amendment allows the board to compensate a victim of a crime up to $1,000 for property 
losses or insurance deductibles paid pursuant to an insurance claim as a result of the 
property loss. The amendment provides July 1, 2022 as the date on which the board is 
authorized to begin to process or pay claims. The amendment removes from the bill the 
prohibition on the court's waiving the imposition of the assessment that funds the Victims' 
Property Compensation Fund. The amendment removes from the bill eligibility for an 
award for a person who is the victim of a crime that occurred in another state or a crime 
of terrorism that occurred outside of the country. 
The amendment provides for 
rulemaking for the Victims' Property Compensation Fund and designates rules for both 
this fund and the Victims' Compensation Fund as routine technical rules. The amendment 
amends the law on restitution for victims of a crime so that, once a victim has been 
compensated as allowed by law from either fund or a combination of a fund and 
restitution, any additional restitution payments are paid into the applicable fund. The 
provisions of law incorporating the Victims' Property Compensation Fund into the duties 
of the Victims' Compensation Board and increasing the membership of that board do not 
apply until July 1, 2022. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 06/05/19 ;Wac:. 
LD 1550 
LR 1986(02) 
An Act To Create a Victims' Compensation Fund for Victims of Property Crimes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "14' lS · 305) 
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
General Fund 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Revenue 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY2019-20 
$10,000 
$10,000 
$0 
$115,000 
FY2020-21 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$230,000 
Projections 
FY2021-22 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$230,000 
Projections 
FY2022-23 
$0 
$0 
$83,211 
$230,000 
This bill creates the Victims Property Compensation Fund, which will be overseen by the existing Victims 
Compensation Board, to compensate victims of crimes in which the victims suffered property losses. Revenue will 
come from a $10 assessment on any person convicted of murder or a Class A, B or C crime, and a $5 assessment on 
any person convicted of a Class D or E crime. Over the past three years there were an average of 4,346 Class A, B and 
C convictions annually and 37,185 Class D and E convictions annually. It is estimated that $230,000 in revenues will 
be generated annually for the fund beginning January 1 2020. 
The judicial branch has indicated assessing an additional fee would require one-time technology related modifications 
to its current revenue collection software. The bill includes one-time General Fund appropriations to the judicial 
branch of $10,000 in fiscal year 2020. Any ongoing costs related to assessing the additional fee can be absorbed 
within existing budgeted resources. 
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has indicated it would require an additional Research Assistant MSEA-B 
Position to support the expanded functions of the Victims Compensation Board. As the bill authorizes the board to 
begin paying claims in fiscal year 2022-23, the position would not be needed until fiscal year 2022-23. Also, the bill 
adds two additional members to the Victims Compensation Board beginning in fiscal year 2022-23 and members are 
entitled to per diem plus compensation for actual and necessary expenses, estimated to be $1,320 annually. 
Accordingly, the OAG will require ongoing allocations of approximately $83,000 for personal services and other 
costs beginning in fiscal year 2022-23. 
LR1986(02) - Fiscal Note - Page I of I