CRIME VICTIM'S RIGHTS ASSESSMENT H.B. 4798 (H-2): FLOOR ANALYSIS
House Bill 4798 (Substitute H-2 as reported without amendment)
Sponsor: Representative William Van Regenmorter
House Committee: Judiciary
Senate Committee: Judiciary
CONTENT
The bill would amend the crime victim's rights services Act to revise the requirement that convicted people pay a crime victim's rights assessment, by extending the requirement to people whose criminal charges were resolved in a way other than conviction (except acquittal or unconditional dismissal). The bill would take effect on January 1, 2006.
Under the Act, the court must order each person convicted of a felony to pay an assessment of $60 and each person convicted of a serious misdemeanor or a specified misdemeanor to pay an assessment of $50. The bill, instead, would require a court to order each person charged with a felony, serious misdemeanor, or specified misdemeanor to pay a crime victim's rights assessment, if the charge were resolved by conviction, by assignment of the defendant to youthful trainee status, by a delayed sentence or deferred entry of judgment of guilt, or in another way that was not an acquittal or unconditional dismissal. The person would have to pay an assessment of $60 if the offense charged were a felony, and $50 if the offense were a serious misdemeanor or a specified misdemeanor.
MCL 780.905 & 780.906 Legislative Analyst: Patrick Affholter
FISCAL IMPACT
This bill would have an indeterminate fiscal impact on State and local revenue. The bill would increase the number of defendants required to pay a crime victim's rights assessment, but there are no data on how many additional defendants the bill would include. The fees would remain $60 for a felony and $50 for a serious or specified misdemeanor. Currently, the assessment generates approximately $8 million per year for the Crime Victims Rights Fund, which receives 90% of the revenue. The remaining 10% is retained by the courts.
Date Completed: 11-30-05 Fiscal Analyst: Stephanie Yu
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. hb4798/0506