HB 705 (2019)

Increases crime victim rights. In particular, this bill raises the cap on payouts from the victims' compensation fund from $30,000 to $40,000. The bill also makes victims of child abuse eligible for compensation, regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred. That compensation can cover counseling and other costs related to prosecution of the abuser. The bill also requires the Department of Justice to develop a victims' rights card and code of professional guidelines for crime victims assistance providers. Lastly, the bill establishes a committee on the needs of crime victims and the enforcement of crime victims rights. The Senate amended the bill to incorporate several other crime-related bills. In particular, the amendment removes the statute of limitations for lawsuits based on sexual assault and incest (similar to SB 508), removes the exception for legally married spouses from certain sexual assault offenses (similar to HB 1601), prohibits the sale of over-the-counter rape test kits in New Hampshire (similar to HB 1495), and establishes various requirements for colleges and universities related to sexual violence (similar to SB 679).