Bill > S3684

This bill makes several revisions to the Crime Victims' Bill of Rights, primarily by expanding victims' rights and clarifying existing provisions. Key changes include allowing victims to communicate their perspectives on plea negotiations to the prosecuting authority before and during negotiations, and requiring the prosecutor to inform the court of the victim's position unless the victim requests otherwise. The bill also broadens the definition of "victim" to include individuals who suffer harm from offenses or acts of delinquency that would be crimes if committed by an adult, and expands the types of proceedings where victims have the right to be present and heard, including quasi-judicial and administrative proceedings. Furthermore, it clarifies that victims are entitled to obtain copies of their own records, such as incident reports, without charge, and mandates that law enforcement agencies provide these reports within five days upon request in domestic violence or protective order cases. The bill also updates the eligibility criteria for grant funding from the Victim and Witness Advocacy Fund to include a wider range of service providers and county-based programs that serve victims of various forms of violence, including domestic violence, sexual violence, community violence, and human trafficking.