Elderly Victims of Crime Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary.
Elderly Victims of Crime Act of 1979 - Directs the Attorney General to make grants to qualified State programs for the compensation of elderly victims of crime. States that such grants shall total: (1) 100 percent of the allowable compensation paid to victims and survivors of victims of crimes which would constitute designated State crimes except for the fact that the crime is subject to exclusive Federal jurisdiction; (2) 75 percent of the allowable compensation paid to victims and dependent survivors of victims of designated crimes; and (3) 75 percent of administering emergency assistance offered by a State program. Specifies criteria for a State plan to qualify under this Act, including that such plan: (1) (A) offer compensation for personal injuries suffered as a result of certain State and Federal crimes; (B) offer compensation to surviving dependents of any person whose death resulted from being victim to such a crime; and (C) offer up to $1,000 compensation for loss or damage of property which is an item of necessity, as a result of such crime; (2) give eligible claimants the right to a hearing; (3) require cooperation with law enforcement agencies as a condition for recovery; (4) include a simplified mechanism for compensation of less than $100; (5) require law enforcement agencies to inform elderly victims of qualifying crimes of the existence of the compensation program and the procedure for applying; (6) subrogate the State to any claim the victim or dependent has against the perpetrator to the extent of the amount compensated by the State; (7) does not require claimants to seek welfare benefits; (8) offer certain emergency assistance to the victims or their dependents. Sets forth specified expenses that may not be included in the State program's cost of paying compensation when determining the amount of the grant for which such program is eligible. Directs the Attorney General to submit annual reports to the House and Senate Judiciary Committees with respect to each qualifying State program, and the activities of the Attorney General in carrying out this Act.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on January 18, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on January 18, 1979: Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
EDWARD ROYBAL (D-CA) introduced it on January 18, 1979, and 1 member has since signed on as a cosponsor.
They are 1 Democrat.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on January 18, 1979, 17402 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17402 days ago, on January 18, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers