980 Act 1995-8 (SS1) LAWS OF PENNSYLVANIA

No. 1995-8 (SS1)

AN ACT

HB 14

Creatingthe Office of Victim Advocate.

The GeneralAssembly of the Commonwealthof Pennsylvaniaherebyenactsas follows:

Section 1. Shorttitle.Thisactshall be known andmay be cited asthe Victim AdvocateLaw.

Section2. Definitions.The following wordsand phraseswhen used in this actshall have the

meaningsgiven to them in this sectionunlessthe contextclearly indicatesotherwise:

“Board.” The PennsylvaniaBoardof ProbationandParole.“Department.” TheDepartmentof Correctionsof the Commonwealth.“Family.” Theterm shall havethe meaninggiven to it in section479.1

of the actof April 9, 1929 (P.L.177,No.175),knownasThe AdministrativeCodeof 1929.

“Office.” TheOffice of Victim Advocatewithin thePennsylvaniaBoardof ProbationandParole.

“Victim.” The term shallhavethemeaninggivento it in section479.1 ofthe actof April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175), known as The AdministrativeCodeof 1929.

“Victim advocate.”The victim advocatein theOfficeof Victim Advocatewithin the PennsylvaniaBoardof ProbationandParole.Section3. Office of Victim Advocate.

(a) Establishment.—Thereis herebyestablishedwithin the board theOffice of Victim Advocateto representthe interestsof crimevictims beforethe boardor department.The office shalloperateunder the direction of thevictim advocateas providedin this section.

(b) Appointment.—Thevictim advocateshall be anindividual who, byreasonof training and experience,is qualified to representthe interestsofindividual crime victims before the board.The victim advocateshall beappointedby the Governor,by andwith the consentof amajority of all ofthe membersof theSenate,andshall holdoffice for atermof six yearsanduntil asuccessorshallhavebeenduly appointedandqualifiedbut in noeventmorethan90 daysbeyondtheexpirationof theappointedterm.A vacancyoccurringby expirationof term,death,resignation,removalor forany otherreasonsshall befilled in the mannerprovided by section8 of Article IV oftheConstitutionof Pennsylvaniafor theremainderof theterm.Wheneverthevictim advocate’stermexpires,that position shall beimmediately deemedavacancy,andtheGovernorshallnominateapersonto fill thatpositionwithin

FIRST SPECIAL SESSIONOF 1995-96 Act 1995-8 (SS1) 981

90 daysof thedate of expiration, evenif the victim advocatecontinuesinoffice. To beeligible to be appointedby theGovernoras victim advocate,anindividual shall haveat leastsix yearsof professionalexperiencein victimadvocacy,social work or relatedareas,including oneyearin a supervisoryor administrative capacity, and a bachelor’s degree. Any equivalentcombinationof experienceandtraining shall be acceptable.Compensationshall be setby theExecutiveBoardof theCommonwealthas definedby theactof April 9, 1929 (P.L.177, No.175),known asThe AdministrativeCodeof 1929.

(c) Serviceandemployees.—Thevictim advocateshalloperatefrom thecentraloffice of theboardwith suchclerical, technicalandprofessionalstaffas may be availablewithin the budgetof the board. The compensationofemployeesof the office shall be setby theExecutiveBoard.Section4. Powersanddutiesof victim advocate.

In additionto any otherauthorityconferredby this act or any otherlaw,the victim advocateis authorizedandit shall be the victim advocate’sdutyto representthe interestsof individual crime victims before the board,departmentor hearing examiner.The victim advocateshall supervisethevictim notification dutiespresentlyconductedby theboard.In addition,thevictim advocate shall assist in and coordinate the preparation of oraltestimonyby the crime victims or the submissionof written commentsbycrime victims prior to a releasedecisionandshall representthe interestsofacrime victim under section6. The victim advocateshall actas aliaisonwith thevictim notificationprogramdirectorin thedepartmentto coordinatevictim notificationandservicesfor thedepartmentandtheboard.The victimadvocateis authorizedtoaddresstheinterestsof all victimsbefore theboard,departmentor hearingexaminerconcerninganyissuesdeterminedappropriateby the victim advocate.Section 5. Preparolenotification to victim.

(a) Personstobenotified.—Nolaterthan90 daysprior to theparoledateof an offender, the victim advocateshall notify the enrolledvictim of theoffensefor whichtheoffenderwassentenced,theparentor legalguardianofa victim who is a minor or a memberof the family where the victim isincapableof communicatingor hasdied,andprovidethe appropriatepersonwith an opportunity to submit a statement expressing concerns orrecommendationsregardingtheparoleor parolesupervisionof the offender.

(b) Enrollmentin program.—Eachvictim or memberof the family shallbe responsiblefor notifying the victim advocateof the victim’s or familymember’s intent to submit a statementregarding the parole or parolesupervisionof the offender.The notice shall includea mailing addressorchangeof addressnotification.

(c) Procedure.—Thevictim advocate shall notify the person at theperson’slastknown mailing address.Thepersonshall submitthe statementto the victim advocatewithin 30 daysof the dateof notice. The statementshall be consideredby theboardduring preparationof theparoleplan.

982 Act 1995-8 (SS1) LAWS OF PENNSYLVANIA

Section 6. Petitionsto deny paroleupon expirationof minimum sentence.Upon the requestof the victim of a crime who hasnotified the boardin

writing of the victim’s desireto have inputand makecommentprior to aparolereleasedecision,thevictim advocateshall eitherpetition theboardasto the special conditions of releasewhich may be imposedor that theoffendernot beparoledbasedupon the statementthatthe victim submittedundersection5. The victim or thevictim’s representativeshall bepermittedto appearin personbefore the boardor hearingexaminer.The testimonyofa victim beforetheboardshall beconfidential,all recordsmaintainedby thedepartmentandthe boardpertainingto victims shall be keptseparate,andcurrentaddress,telephonenumberandany otherpersonalinformationof thevictim andfamily membersshallbedeemedconfidential.The boardmay,inits discretion, upon petition and after an interview, order that specialconditionsof parole be placedupon the offender or the offender not beparoledbasedupon the continuingeffect of the crime on the victim or mayorder that the offendernot beparoledif the boardfinds that the offenderwould posearisk or dangerto the victim or thefamily of the victim if theoffenderwere releasedon parole or if the interestsof the Commonwealthwouldotherwisebe injured.Theboardshall notify the victim of its decisionprior to a releaseof the offender.Notwithstandingthe provisionsof this oranyotheractof theGeneralAssembly,the Office of theDistrict Attorney ofthe sentencingcounty may notify crime victims of any pending releasedecisionand acton suchvictim’s behalfor on its own initiative to submitcommentsandrepresenttheinterestsof acrimevictim before~iie~boardpriorto a releasedecision.Section7. Effective date.

This actshall take effect in 60 days.

APPROVED—The21stday of Maith, A.D. 1995.

THOMAS J. RIDGE