Governor also signs three other bills related to public safety
JEFFERSON CITY – Gov. Jay Nixon today signed legislation increasing the amount that victims of violent crime can receive for lost earnings through the Missouri Crime Victims’ Compensation program.
“We have a moral responsibility to help victims of violent crime and their families, so that they are not victimized again by the financial burden of medical costs and lost wages,” Gov. Nixon said. “This legislation carries on Missouri’s strong commitment to these Missourians and their families and I appreciate the work of the General Assembly to bring it to my desk.”
Senate Bill 141, which passed unanimously in both chambers of the Missouri General Assembly, doubles the cap on the amount victims can receive for earnings lost as a result of the crime from $200 a week to $400 a week. The cap has not been raised since 1981.
Senate Bill 141 also authorizes the Missouri Crime Victims’ Compensation program to help victims that are faced with significant medical bills by negotiating the costs of medical care and other services directly with the providers on behalf of the victim.
The Missouri Crime Victims’ Compensation Program, part of the Missouri Department of Public Safety, financially assists people who have sustained physical or psychological injury as a result of a violent crime by paying for reasonable medical and counseling expenses as well as lost wages if the victim was gainfully employed on the crime date.
Established in 1981, this program provided more than $3.8 million in awards to more than 700 Missouri crime victims and victims’ families in Fiscal Year 2014. If the victim was killed during a crime, the program can also help the victim’s family members by assisting with the cost of funeral and burial expenses.
In addition to Senate Bill 141, Gov. Nixon also signed three other bills:
n House Bill 269, which expands the types of fire extinguishers that can be used on boats to meet state law by including “fixed” fire extinguishers;
n House Bill 686, which addresses a number of areas concerning the sale of motor vehicles, including ensuring that cars branded as “junk” cannot be titled by the State of Missouri for operation on roads or highways.
n Senate Bill 231, which allows distributors to claim refunds for fuel they deliver to marinas in Missouri if the fuel is only for watercraft. This bill includes the fire extinguisher provision in House Bill 269 and also requires the Missouri Water Patrol to create a brochure regarding laws, regulations and penalties for non-motorized flotation devices.
