AB 1187: California Victim Compensation Board: reimbursement for personal or technological safety devices or services.

Existing law generally provides for the compensation of victims and derivative victims of specified types of crimes by the California Victim Compensation Board from the Restitution Fund, which is continuously appropriated to the board. Existing law authorizes the board to grant for pecuniary loss, when the board determines that it will best aid the person seeking compensation, as specified. Existing law authorizes the board to reimburse the amount of outpatient psychiatric, psychological, or other mental health counseling-related expenses incurred by the victim or derivative victim, including peer counseling services provided by a rape crisis center and family psychiatric, psychological, or mental health counseling for the successful treatment of the victim provided to family members of the victim in the presence of the victim, subject to specified criteria.

This bill would also authorize the board to reimburse the expense of counseling services provided by a Certified Child Life Specialist, certified by the Association of Child Life Professionals, who provides counseling under the supervision of a licensed provider, subject to the boards approval, as specified. By expanding the authorizations for use of moneys in the Restitution Fund, a continuously appropriated fund, this bill would make an appropriation.