California Victim Compensation Board
Legislative Update

May 28, 2026

AB 1716 (Stefani) CalVCB: Tuition Reimbursement

This bill would expand CalVCB reimbursement to include tuition payments. Students who are unable to continue attendance or suffer an academic setback as a result of a crime could receive up to $10,000 to reimburse tuition costs.

Status: Held on the Suspense File in the Assembly Appropriations Committee and will not move forward this year

AB 2119 (Jackson) Gender Bias in Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence

This bill would require the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) to develop and distribute materials educating the public that all genders may be the victim of sexual assault and domestic violence.  It would require CDPH to collaborate with CalVCB, the Office of Emergency Services and victim advocacy groups in developing the materials.

Status: Held on the Suspense File in the Assembly Appropriations Committee and will not move forward this year

AB 2297 (Stefani) Restitution: Diversion

This bill would require a court to order restitution to a victim who incurs economic loss as a result of a crime when the defendant participates in a diversion program. To the extent that CalVCB has already paid expenses on behalf of a victim, collected restitution orders can go toward reimbursing CalVCB for those payments.

Status: Referred to the Senate Public Safety Committee

AB 2247 (Elhawary) Trauma Healing and Resilience Investment for Victimized and Exposed Youth Act

This bill would create the Trauma Healing and Resilience Investment for Victimized and Exposed Youth Act (T.H.R.I.V.E.) to be administered by the State Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). DHCS would administer grants to counties to establish programs to pay for mental health and counseling services for youth survivors of gun violence. The bill specifies that payments by this grant program shall not reduce a youth survivor of gun violence’s maximum benefit allowance provided by CalVCB, except that expenses paid by the grant program shall not be eligible for reimbursement or payment by CalVCB for the same purposes.

Status: Passed off the Suspense File in the Assembly Appropriations Committee with amendments to restrict the program to four counties

SB 891 (Cervantes) Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Justice Program

This bill would establish the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Justice Program within the Department of Justice. The program’s responsibilities would include facilitating collaboration and acting as a liaison between tribal victims’ families, tribal governments, and law enforcement agencies regarding active and inactive cases involving missing and murdered indigenous persons in California, including cases involving human trafficking. Until January 1, 2029, the bill would require the program to submit an annual report to both houses of the Legislature containing, among other things, data on the number of, and facts about, cases involving missing and murdered indigenous persons in California.

Status: Passed off the Suspense File in the Senate Appropriations Committee

AB 2378 (Gabriel) California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) Grant Program

This bill would create the Office of Community Violence Intervention within the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC). It would require the office to, among other things, advise BSCC on the implementation of community violence intervention and prevention policies, provide technical assistance for community violence intervention and prevention organizations and CalVIP grantees, and produce a biennial report on community violence intervention and prevention.

Status: Passed off the Suspense File in the Assembly Appropriations Committee

AB 2275 (Baines) Mental Health Diversion

This bill would have required a court to order restitution to a victim who incurs economic loss as a result of a crime when the defendant participates in a diversion program. To the extent that CalVCB has already paid expenses on behalf of a victim, collected restitution orders can go toward reimbursing CalVCB for those payments. The bill contained other provisions related to mental health diversion.

Status: Failed the policy committee deadline and will not move forward this year

H.R. 909 (Wagner) Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025

This federal legislation would redirect any leftover unobligated funds collected under the False Claims Act to the Crime Victims Fund through Federal Fiscal Year 2029.

Status: Passed by the House and referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary

H.R. 8426 (Simon) Crime Survivor Support and Stability Act of 2026

This federal legislation would establish a $40 million grant program within the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime to support community-based organizations in providing direct cash assistance to survivors of violence and their affected family members. It would affirm that states should review and revise laws to ensure survivors adequately receive the support they need, and it would enumerate survivor rights. It would establish a pilot program at the Bureau of Justice Statistics to conduct annual state-level victim needs surveys.

Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary