2020 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 21. Crimes and Punishments
§21-142.13. Payment of award - Exemption from process - Assignment - Counseling expenses.

A. The Crime Victims Compensation Board may compensate for work loss, replacement services loss, dependent's economic loss and dependent's replacement service loss. Compensation for a caregiver who has out-of-pocket wage loss as a result of caring for the victim who was injured as a result of criminally injurious conduct may not exceed Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00).

B. Compensation payable to a victim and to all other claimants sustaining economic loss because of injury to or death of that victim may not exceed Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) in the aggregate. The Board may, after approval of an initial award of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00), grant an additional sum not to exceed Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00), specifically for loss of wages for the victim or loss of support for dependents of a deceased victim provided, there is verifiable economic loss after deducting payments from other sources. In no event shall compensation payable to a victim and to all other claimants sustaining economic loss because of injury to or death of that victim exceed Forty Thousand Dollars ($40,000.00) in the aggregate.

C. The Board may provide for the payment to a claimant in a lump sum or in installments. At the request of the claimant, the Board may convert future economic loss, other than allowable expense, to a lump sum.

D. An award payable in a lump sum or installments for loss of support for a dependent of the deceased victim may be computed through a formula which calculates the net loss of support for dependents based upon an estimated date of retirement or an estimated date of adulthood for dependent children, beginning with the date of death of the victim and ending with the least of one of the following time periods for each dependent filing loss of support:

1. The amount of time from the date of death of the victim to the date the victim would have been expected to reach sixty-two (62) years of age;

2. The amount of time from the date of death of the victim to the date the spouse of the victim is expected to reach sixty-two (62) years of age; or

3. The amount of time from the date of death of the victim to the date a dependent child is expected to reach eighteen (18) years of age or twenty-three (23) years of age if the dependent child is enrolled as a full-time student. An award payable in installments for future loss of support may be modified by the Board in the event a dependent child receiving loss of support is between the ages of eighteen (18) and twenty-three (23) years of age and is no longer enrolled as a full-time student, the dependent dies before all installments are paid or the dependent receiving installments moves and leaves no forwarding address with the Board office.

E. An award shall not be subject to execution, attachment, garnishment or other process, except for child support and except that an award for allowable expense shall not be exempt from a claim of a creditor to the extent that such creditor has provided products, services or accommodations, the costs of which are included in the award.

F. An assignment by the claimant to any future award under the provisions of this act is unenforceable, except:

1. An assignment of any award for work loss to assure payment of court ordered alimony, maintenance or child support; or

2. An assignment of any award for allowable expense to the extent that the benefits are for the cost of products, services or accommodations necessitated by the injury or death on which the claim is based and are provided or to be provided by the assignee.

G. The Board may, in its discretion, approve payment of crisis counseling, occurring within three (3) years of the crime, in an amount not to exceed Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00) for each family member of a homicide victim; provided, the counselor is a qualified mental health care provider. Medical and pharmaceutical treatment is not compensable for any family member of a deceased victim.

H. Outpatient counseling expenses for a victim of criminally injurious conduct may be considered by the Board provided the counseling is focused on the crime and the counselor is a qualified mental health care provider. A total not to exceed Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00) may be awarded for individual counseling sessions for victims of criminally injurious conduct. Sessions between the mental health care provider and nonoffending parents of a victimized child under eighteen (18) years of age may also be included in the award provided the combined total for the counseling and parental sessions do not exceed Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00) and the parental sessions relate to the victimization. In extreme cases, the Board may, in its discretion, waive the three-thousand-dollar limit. Inpatient mental health treatment will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and may be compensated, at the discretion of the Board, in an amount not to exceed Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00).

I. Reasonable funeral, cremation or burial expenses shall not exceed Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($7,500.00).

J. Reasonable costs associated with crime scene cleanup shall not exceed Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00).

K. Loss of income of a caregiver shall not exceed Three Thousand Dollars ($3,000.00).

L. Reasonable costs for vehicle impound fees are limited to violent crimes occurring in a vehicle owned by the victim of the violent crime or an eligible claimant, provided such fee is associated with the collection and security of crime scene evidence. Reimbursement for vehicle impound fees shall not exceed Seven Hundred Fifty Dollars ($750.00).

Added by Laws 1981, c. 93, § 13. Amended by Laws 1993, c. 325, § 9, emerg. eff. June 7, 1993; Laws 1996, c. 292, § 3, emerg. eff. June 10, 1996; Laws 1999, c. 177, § 6, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2000, c. 324, § 2, eff. July 1, 2000; Laws 2005, c. 154, § 1, eff. July 1, 2005; Laws 2007, c. 171, § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 2007; Laws 2008, c. 283, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2008; Laws 2009, c. 163, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2009.