Attorney General Ken Paxton announced today that the Crime Victims’ Compensation Program (CVC), which is administered by his office, provided $64 million in financial assistance to Texas crime victims and their families during fiscal year 2017, an increase of $16.8 million from 2016. The reimbursements covered out-of-pocket expenses as defined by Texas law.
“The aftermath of violent crimes causes heavy financial, physical and emotional burdens for survivors and their families,” Attorney General Paxton said. “While no amount of money can lessen a crime victim’s pain, my office is committed to doing everything it can to assist Texans who face enormous obstacles on their road to recovery.”
The Texas CVC Program receives criminal court costs, fees and fines from convicted offenders to reimburse victims and their families for certain crime-related expenses of up to $50,000, including loss of income, loss of support, medical costs, mental health counseling, rent and relocation assistance, and funeral and burial costs. No taxpayer dollars are involved.
Last year, Attorney General Paxton announced a wide range of limit increases on benefits a victim of violent crime may receive through the CVC Program – including the first increases for some benefits since the 1990s. Boosting the limits helped the CVC Program to award 35 percent more compensation in fiscal year 2017 compared to 2016.
The CVC Program was created by the Texas Legislature in 1979 and is now one of the largest of its kind in the nation. From the CVC Program’s creation January 1, 1980 through the end of fiscal year 2017, the program awarded $1.52 billion.
For more information about the Texas CVC program, including eligibility requirements, visit the attorney general’s website here: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/cvs/crime-victims-compensation
View the list of new Texas CVC program claim limits here: https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/cvs/crime-victims-compensation-reimbursable-expenses