April 9, 2007 -- In an effort to better assist crime victims in Kansas, Attorney General Paul Morrison successfully advocated for an increase in benefits to help with crime scene cleanup. After passing both chambers, Governor Kathleen Sebelius signed the bill into law today.
“I am pleased that the governor and the legislature agreed that we could do more for Kansas crime victims,” Morrison said. “If we work together, we can better assist innocent victims of violent crime in their time of need.”
House Bill 2318 expands the definition of “allowance expense” in K.S.A. 74-7301(a) to include an allowance up to $1000 for crime scene cleanup. This bill also provides a definition of crime scene cleanup as “the removal of blood, stains, odors or other debris caused by the crime or the processing of the crime scene.” This assistance will be provided through the Attorney General’s Crime Victims’ Compensation Board.
“As a prosecutor, I have visited countless crime scenes, including murder scenes, where the violence and brutality of the crime was illustrated by the amount of bloodshed and debris left behind,” Morrison said. “The burden of crime scene cleanup greatly contributes to the amount of stress that a crime causes and I believe that my office can help ease this burden for victim’s families.”
With the passage of HB 2318, Kansas will become the thirty-fourth state to provide compensation for crime scene cleanup. The fiscal impact will be insignificant, and will generally comprise about one-half of one percent of the total awards granted.