04/27/2004 03:35 PM Senate STA

         HB 534-MAKE OFFICE OF VICTIMS RIGHTS PERMANENT                                                                     
                                                                                                                              
SARA  NIELSON, staff  to Representative  Ralph Samuels,  sponsor,                                                               
explained that the Office of  Victims Rights (OVR) provides legal                                                               
counsel, education, and assistance to  victims of crime. The bill                                                               
repeals the  four year sunset  date for  the office and  makes it                                                               
permanent.                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GRETCHEN  GUESS commented that  an advantage to  having a                                                               
sunset provision is  that it gives an opportunity to  look at the                                                               
issue  and to  determine whether  or not  there is  anything that                                                               
needs to be changed. She asked  how she envisions the process for                                                               
review and revision.                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
MS. NIELSON  pointed out  that a  legislative member  could still                                                               
request an audit from the LB&A.                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
KARLA SCHOFIELD with the Legislative  Affairs Agency added to the                                                               
explanation  saying that  for the  Legislature  there are  annual                                                               
financial audits for  any entity in the Legislature  of which the                                                               
Office of  Victims Rights is one.  In addition to that,  a member                                                               
of the Legislature could ask  the chair of the Legislative Budget                                                               
and Audit Committee for a performance audit at any time.                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR COWDERY asked for the normal termination date.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
MS.  NIELSON said  it's four  years  so the  original bill  would                                                               
sunset in 2006.                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
CHAIR GARY  STEVENS asked her to  speak to the concern  that many                                                               
of the  cases take  many years  to resolve  and the  sunset could                                                               
prove problematic to the victim.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
MS. NIELSON reiterated  that the cases can take  years to resolve                                                               
and  there is  no wind  down period  for the  office so  when the                                                               
sunset date comes up the case would be dropped.                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GUESS asked what other groups are treated similarly.                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
MS. NIELSON told her the Ombudsman Office is the same.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  GUESS asked  if  there  was a  reason  that this  wasn't                                                               
addressed as a wind-down to address the issue.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
MS.  NIELSON said  she thought  the Finance  Committee originally                                                               
wanted the office to be permanent.                                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR GUESS asked if she or  the sponsor thought this might not                                                               
set an undesirable precedent.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
MS. NIELSON didn't think so given the nature of the office.                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
There were no further questions.                                                                                                
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  COWDERY  made  a  motion  to  move  CSHB  534(FIN)  from                                                               
committee  with individual  recommendations  and attached  fiscal                                                               
notes. There being no objection, it was so ordered.