2023 California Code › Government Code - GOV › TITLE 2 - GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA › DIVISION 3 - EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT › PART 4 - CALIFORNIA VICTIM COMPENSATION BOARD › CHAPTER 5 - Indemnification of Victims of Crime › ARTICLE 4 - Scope of Compensation › Section 13957.5.

13957.5. (a) In authorizing compensation for loss of income and support pursuant to paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 13957, the board may take any of the following actions:
(1) Subject to paragraph (7), and calculated as provided in paragraph (8), compensate the victim for loss of income directly resulting from the injury, except that loss of income shall not be paid by the board for more than five years following the crime, unless the victim is disabled as defined in Section 416(i) of Title 42 of the United States Code, as a direct result of the injury.
(2) Compensate an adult derivative victim for loss of income, subject to all of the following:
(A) The derivative victim is the parent, legal guardian, or spouse of the victim, or if no parent, legal guardian, or spouse of the victim is present at the hospital, is another derivative victim, who is present at the hospital during the period the victim is hospitalized as a direct result of the crime.
(B) The victim’s treating physician certifies in writing that the presence of the derivative victim at the hospital is reasonably necessary for the treatment of the victim, or is reasonably necessary for the victim’s psychological well-being.
(C) Reimbursement for loss of income under this paragraph shall not exceed the total value of the income that would have been earned, calculated as described in paragraph (8), by the adult derivative victim during a 30-day period.
(3) Compensate an adult derivative victim for loss of income, subject to all of the following:
(A) The victim died as a direct result of the crime.
(B) (i) If the derivative victim is the spouse of the victim, is the parent of the victim, was living in the household of the victim at the time of the crime, was the legal guardian of the victim at the time of the crime, or was the legal guardian of the victim when the victim was under 18 years of age, the board shall pay for loss of income under this paragraph, calculated as provided by paragraph (8), for not more than 30 calendar days occurring within 90 calendar days of the victim’s death.
(ii) For a derivative victim not included in clause (i), the board shall pay for loss of income under this paragraph, calculated as provided by paragraph (8), for not more than seven calendar days occurring within 90 calendar days of the victim’s death.
(4) Compensate a derivative victim who was legally dependent on the victim at the time of the crime for the loss of support incurred by that person as a direct result of the crime, calculated as provided in paragraph (8), subject to both of the following:
(A) Loss of support shall be paid by the board for income lost by an adult for a period up to, but not more than, five years following the date of the crime.
(B) Loss of support shall not be paid by the board on behalf of a minor for a period beyond the child’s attaining 18 years of age.
(5) (A)    If the qualifying crime is a violation of Section 236.1 of the Penal Code, and the victim has not been and will not be compensated from any other source, compensate the victim for loss of income or support directly resulting from the deprivation of liberty during the crime based upon the value of the victim’s labor as guaranteed under California law at the time that the services were performed for the number of hours that the services were performed, for up to 40 hours per week.
(B) On or before July 1, 2020, the board shall adopt guidelines that allow it to rely on evidence other than official employment documentation in considering and approving an application for that compensation. The evidence may include any reliable corroborating information approved by the board, including, but not limited to, a statement under penalty of perjury from the applicant, a human trafficking caseworker as defined in Section 1038.2 of the Evidence Code, a licensed attorney, or a witness to the circumstances of the crime.
(C) Compensation for loss of income paid by the board pursuant to this paragraph shall not exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per year that the services were performed, for a maximum of two years.
(D) If the victim is a minor at the time of application, the board shall distribute payment under this paragraph when the minor reaches 18 years of age.
(6) If the victim is a minor at the time of the crime, the victim shall be eligible for future loss of income due to disability from future employment directly resulting from the injury at a rate an employee would earn if employed for 35 hours per week at the minimum wage required at the time of the crime by Section 1182.12 of the Labor Code for a maximum of one year.
(7) (A) A victim or derivative victim who is otherwise eligible for loss of income under paragraph (1), (2), or (3) shall be eligible for loss of income if they were employed or receiving earned income benefits at the time of the crime. If an otherwise eligible adult victim or derivative victim was not employed or receiving earned income benefits at the time of the crime, they shall be eligible for loss of income under paragraph (1), (2), or (3) if the victim or derivative victim was fully or partially employed or receiving income benefits for a total of at least two weeks in the 12 months preceding the qualifying crime, or had an offer of employment at the time of the crime and was unable to begin employment as a result of the crime.
(B) A derivative victim who is otherwise eligible for loss of support under paragraph (4) shall be eligible for loss of support if the victim was employed or receiving earned income benefits at the time of the crime. If the victim was not employed or receiving earned income benefits at the time of the crime, the derivative victim shall be eligible if the victim was fully or partially employed or receiving earned income benefits for a total of at least two weeks in the 12 months preceding the qualifying crime, or if the victim had an offer of employment at the time of the crime and was unable to begin employment as a result of the crime.
(8) (A) Except as provided by subparagraph (B), loss of income or support under paragraph (1), (2), (3), or (4) shall be based on the actual loss the victim or derivative victim, as applicable, sustains or the wages the victim or derivative victim, as applicable, would have earned if employed for 35 hours per week at the minimum wage required by Section 1182.12 of the Labor Code during the applicable period, whichever is greater.
(B) For victims who are under 18 years of age at the time of the crime, loss of income under paragraph (1) shall be based upon the actual loss the victim sustains.
(b) By July 1, 2025, the board shall adopt new guidelines for accepting evidence that may be available to the victim or derivative victim in considering and approving a claim for loss of income or support under this section, which shall require the board to accept any form of reliable corroborating information approved by the board regarding the victim or derivative victim’s income, including, but not limited to, all of the following:
(1) A statement from the employer.
(2) A pattern of deposits into a bank or credit union account of the victim or derivative victim.
(3) Pay stubs or copies of checks received as payment.
(4) A copy of a job offer letter from an employer.
(5) Income tax records.
(6) Verification through a vendor, if the employer contracts with a vendor for employment verification.
(7) Information related to eligibility or enrollment from any of the following:
(A) The CalFresh program pursuant to Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 18900) of Part 6 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institution Code.
(B) The CalWORKs program.
(C) The state’s children’s health insurance program under Title XXI of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1397aa et seq.).
(D) The California Health Benefit Exchange established pursuant to Title 22 (commencing with Section 100500) of the Government Code.
(E) The electronic service established in accordance with Section 435.949 of Title 42 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
(F) Records from the Employment Development Department.
(c) The total amount payable to all derivative victims pursuant to this section as the result of one crime shall not exceed one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000).
(d) This section shall become operative on July 1, 2024, only if General Fund moneys over the multiyear forecasts beginning in the 2024–25 fiscal year are available to support ongoing augmentations and actions, and if an appropriation is made to backfill the Restitution Fund to support the actions in this section.
(Repealed (in Sec. 6) and added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 771, Sec. 7. (AB 160) Effective September 29, 2022. Conditionally operative July 1, 2024, as prescribed by its own provisions.)