Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission to increase maximum payouts for certain claims

The Alabama Crime Victims Compensation Commission Wednesday approved administrative code changes to increase potential payouts to crime victims and their families.

The changes would affect several reimbursement categories, including moving, lost wages, funeral costs and medical bills.

“I think that was needed, and certainly, I think, it is something that goes in the direction of helping victims in Alabama, which is what we are here for,” said Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones, one of the members of the commission, during a meeting on Wednesday.

Commissioners approved an increase in funeral compensation from $6,000 to $7,000, the maximum allowed by state statute. The commission also approved increases in compensation for lost wages from $500 per week to $600 per week. Commissioners also increased the maximum amount for claims for  medical expenses from 30% of the claim related to medical expenses with a $6,000 limit to 50% with a $10,000 limit.

The ACVCC disburses money to victims and their families when they file a claim for compensation. The increase in compensation limits reflects an improving revenue picture for the commission, which for years struggled to satisfy claims due to declining income from fines and fees, until 2023 its only revenue source.

The Legislature in 2023 began making direct appropriations from the General Fund to the ACVCC, which has allowed it to reduce its backlog of claims. The commission is scheduled to receive $1.6 million in the 2027 General Fund budget.

“We have been able to increase our ability to payout more claimants in the past few years, (and) our federal funding has increased, so the money is just a consolidation of this,” said Everette Johnson, executive director of the ACVCC, in an interview following the meeting. “We are now in a financial position to be able to do these increases and help more victims.”

Bridget Ballentine, general counsel for ACVCC, said at the meeting that the limits were decided based on the thresholds from other states and place Alabama in the middle range of offerings around the country.

The compensation increases are scheduled to take effect in October. The proposed changes will be submitted to the Legislative Services Agency, and the public will be able to submit comments on the proposed changes for the next three months.

The Legislature last spring also approved a bill that extended the timeline from one year to two years.

“No way could we have done the two-year law had we not gotten the extra funding in the past three years,” said Darlene Hutchinson Biehl, commissioner with the ACVCC.