Seven more years to apply for state victims funds

California crime victims would have another seven years to apply for state victims funds under legislation introduced in the State Senate.

The current deadline is three years. Approximately 100 crime survivors fail to apply in time for about $84,000 each year, Witness LA reported July 21.

The measure is SB375 by Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles.)

The California Victim Compensation Board “covers expenses that arise in the wake of a crime, including medical treatment, mental health counseling, burial expenses, and in- come loss,” Witness LA re- ported.

Most who are eligible to receive funds simply do not apply or by the time they realize funds are available, the three- year deadline for filing has expired, the story noted.

A survey conducted in 2013 by Californians for Safety and Justice estimates one out of three who are eligible do not file for compensation — with young people of color the least likely to know about the program.