Fennell, Coakley pushing new victims’ aid bill

LYNN-State Rep. Robert Fennell and colleagues are working to update compensation laws by broadening assistance to victims of violent crimes.

“This bill will provide critical financial help to those innocent citizens who have been victims of violent crimes,” Fennell said, crediting state Attorney General Martha Coakley with filing the legislation.

Fennell said the compensation bill parallels legislation he pushed for increasing mandatory prison time for domestic batterers to five years, up from 2 ½ years from the previous law.

The compensation bill updates the Massachusetts Victims of Violent Crimes Compensation statute by authorizing the attorney general to provide eligible victims of violent crimes and their families with expenses incurred as a result of a crime.

“The amendments proposed in this legislation are important and necessary updates that, if passed, will enable our office to continue to adequately respond to the needs of victims of violent crimes and their families without requiring additional funding from the General Court,” Coakley said.

Without raising the existing cap on victim compensation set by statute, the bill also authorizes compensation for eligible victims and their families for crime scene clean-up, up to a maximum of $1,500 and provides for the replacement, repair or installation of locks or other security devices to promote victims’ safety, up to $500.

The legislation also raises the current cap on funeral and burial expenses from $4,000, to $6,500 to reflect the increased costs of funerals and burials and adds a category of compensation for ancillary funeral expenses, such as grave markers and urns, up to a maximum of $800.

Additionally, The Victim Compensation Fund is a fund of last resort that assists eligible victims and their families with expenses that are not covered by other funding sources, such as homeowner’s insurance, renter’s insurance, automobile insurance or workers compensation.

“With the 25th anniversary of the Massachusetts Victim Bill of Rights and the federal Victims of Crimes Act, it is imperative that we continue to build upon the progress that has been made in this area. In drafting this legislation, we were careful to balance the diverse needs of victims who come to our office for help with the fiscal realities faced by Commonwealth,” said Coakley.