05/15/2023 10:30 AM House FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 81 am                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act relating to the office of victims' rights; and                                                                     
     providing for an effective date."                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
11:01:02 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster requested a brief recap of the bill.                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
JEFF STEPP,  STAFF, SENATOR ELVI GRAY-JACKSON,  relayed that                                                                    
the bill  sought to accomplish  two important  goals. First,                                                                    
the  bill would  permanently  place the  Office of  Victims'                                                                    
Rights  (OVR)   attorneys  on  the  state   attorney  salary                                                                    
schedule. Second,  the bill was  identified as a  vehicle to                                                                    
assist the  joint Victims Advocate Selection  Committee with                                                                    
its task of  hiring a permanent victims'  advocate. He noted                                                                    
there were others available for questions.                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Representative  Josephson  asked   if  the  victims'  rights                                                                    
attorneys  had  been paid  by  some  source back  to  around                                                                    
October 31, 2022.                                                                                                               
                                                                                                                                
Mr. Stepp replied in the affirmative.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster asked for a review of the fiscal note.                                                                          
                                                                                                                                
JESSICA  GEARY,  EXECUTIVE   DIRECTOR,  LEGISLATIVE  AFFAIRS                                                                    
AGENCY, relayed  the fiscal note  would add $107,000  to the                                                                    
base to get the four  OVR attorneys onto the attorney salary                                                                    
schedule created by HB 226 [passed in 2022].                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
11:03:21 AM                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster  noted that no amendments  had been received                                                                    
for the bill.                                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Johnson MOVED  to REPORT SB 81 am  out of committee                                                                    
with individual recommendations  and the accompanying fiscal                                                                    
note.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SB 81  am was  REPORTED out  of committee  with a  "do pass"                                                                    
recommendation  and  with  one previously  published  fiscal                                                                    
impact note: FN1 (LEG).                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair  Foster reviewed  the  schedule  for the  afternoon                                                                    
meeting.  He listed  bills the  committee could  potentially                                                                    
hear in the afternoon meeting.  He asked his staff to review                                                                    
any bills he had missed.                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
BRODIE   ANDERSON,   STAFF,  REPRESENTATIVE   NEAL   FOSTER,                                                                    
answered   that  the   other   bill   the  committee   could                                                                    
potentially hear amendments to SB 77.                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster  asked for the  number of amendments  for SB
.                                                                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
Mr.  Anderson  responded  that  there  were  three  or  four                                                                    
amendments.                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Foster concluded the meeting.