An Act to amend and reenact §§ 19.2-165.1, 19.2-368.2, 19.2-368.3, and 19.2-368.11:1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to victims of crime; reimbursement for expenses; work group.
HB1464 amends several provisions of Virginia’s victims-of-crime compensation and medical-fee reimbursement laws. The bill updates rules governing when the Commonwealth pays for medical examinations and evidence-gathering services in criminal cases, including forensic exams for sexual assault victims and anonymous trace evidence collection kit exams for strangulation victims. It also clarifies that victims seeking these forensic medical exams do not have to participate in the criminal justice system or cooperate with law enforcement in order to receive them.
The bill also revises definitions used in the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission’s crime victims compensation chapter, including the terms “crime,” “victim,” “sexual abuse,” “physical evidence recovery kit,” and “anonymous trace evidence collection kit.” In addition, it directs the Commission to maintain policies for paying forensic exam-related expenses, including mileage for sexual assault forensic examiners, and preserves the existing rule that defendants may be ordered to reimburse the Commonwealth after conviction for covered medical fees.
Overall, the bill appears to strengthen and modernize support for crime victims, especially survivors of sexual assault and strangulation, by ensuring access to forensic medical services and clarifying reimbursement procedures. Its practical effect is to adjust state administration of victim compensation and criminal-case medical costs rather than create a new program, while reinforcing the Commonwealth’s responsibility to front these expenses in qualifying cases.
The general sentiment reflected by the bill’s enactment is favorable toward victim access and support, with no recorded committee opposition or roll-call controversy in the provided materials. The measure’s focus on victim services, forensic exams, and reimbursement suggests a broadly protective policy approach. Any potential contention would likely center on state cost exposure, reimbursement from defendants, and the scope of eligibility for compensation, but no specific disputes are documented in the available record.
HB1464 amends Virginia Code §§ 19.2-165.1, 19.2-368.2, 19.2-368.3, and 19.2-368.11:1 to refine how the Commonwealth pays for medical and forensic evidence-gathering expenses in criminal cases and how victims of crime are compensated. It affects the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission’s administration of the crime victims compensation program, the Commonwealth’s payment obligations for forensic exams, and the reimbursement process that can require convicted defendants to repay the state for covered medical fees.
The available record suggests a generally supportive, victim-centered sentiment around the bill. It was enacted as Chapter 858 and there are no recorded votes or committee transcripts showing opposition, amendment disputes, or partisan division in the provided materials. The bill’s emphasis on access to forensic exams without requiring law-enforcement cooperation indicates a policy direction that is likely to have broad support among victim advocates and criminal justice stakeholders.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided bill history or transcripts. Based on the text, the most likely areas of debate would be the fiscal impact on the Commonwealth, the administrative burden on the Commission, and the balance between victim access and reimbursement from defendants after conviction. Another possible issue is the expansion or clarification of eligibility for forensic medical services, particularly the rule that sexual assault victims need not cooperate with law enforcement to receive exams, but no explicit opposition is shown in the record.