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Victims' VOICES Act
7/31/2024, 5:51 PM
Summary of Bill S 3706
The Victims' VOICES Act includes several key provisions. First, it establishes a Victims' Rights Ombudsman within the Department of Justice to assist victims in navigating the criminal justice system and accessing the services and support they need. This ombudsman would serve as a point of contact for victims, helping them understand their rights and connect with relevant resources.
Additionally, the bill aims to improve communication between victims and law enforcement agencies by requiring regular updates on the status of investigations and court proceedings. This would help ensure that victims are kept informed and involved in the legal process. Furthermore, the Victims' VOICES Act includes provisions to enhance victim compensation programs, providing financial assistance to victims for expenses related to their victimization. This could include medical bills, counseling services, and lost wages. Overall, the Victims' VOICES Act seeks to empower and support victims of crime, ensuring that their voices are heard and their rights are protected throughout the criminal justice process. It represents a bipartisan effort to improve the treatment of victims and provide them with the resources they need to heal and seek justice.
Congressional Summary of S 3706
Victims' Voices Outside and Inside the Courtroom Effectiveness Act or the Victims' VOICES Act
This act makes a person who has assumed a victim's rights eligible to receive restitution for certain expenses from a convicted defendant. The act applies to a person (i.e., legal guardian, representative of the victim's estate, another family member, or any other person appointed as suitable by the court) who has assumed the rights of a victim because such victim is under 18 years of age, incompetent, incapacitated, or deceased.
Under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act of 1996, federal courts must order defendants who are convicted of certain crimes to pay restitution to their victims. This restitution must include the costs to reimburse the victim for lost income and necessary child care, transportation, and other expenses incurred while participating in the investigation or prosecution of the offense or attending proceedings relating to the offense, as well as medical and nonmedical care and treatment, and other associated costs.
This act specifies that, in ordering restitution, a court must order the defendant to pay restitution to a person who has assumed the victim's rights. In particular, the defendant must pay restitution to reimburse the person's necessary and reasonable costs for (1) lost income, child care, transportation, and other expenses associated with participating in the investigation or prosecution of the offense or attending proceedings relating to the offense; and (2) lost income, transportation, and other expenses associated with transporting a victim to receive medical and nonmedical care and treatment (including physical and occupational therapy and rehabilitation).
