Bill Text: VA HB4034 | 2019 | 1st Special Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Gun Violence Survivor Assistance Fund and Grant Program; established.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-07-19 - Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice [HB4034 Detail]

Download: Virginia-2019-HB4034-Introduced.html
19200374D
HOUSE BILL NO. 4034
Offered July 19, 2019
A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding a section numbered 9.1-104.1, relating to Gun Violence Survivor Assistance Fund and Grant Program.
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Patron-- Price
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Committee Referral Pending
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia is amended by adding a section numbered 9.1-104.1 as follows:

§9.1-104.1. Gun Violence Survivor Assistance Fund and Grant Program.

A. There is hereby created in the state treasury a special nonreverting fund to be known as the Gun Violence Survivor Assistance Fund, referred to in this section as "the Fund." The Fund shall be established on the books of the Comptroller. All funds appropriated for such purpose and any gifts, donations, grants, bequests, and other funds received on its behalf shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the Fund. Interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall remain in the Fund and be credited to it. Any moneys remaining in the Fund, including interest thereon, at the end of each fiscal year shall not revert to the general fund but shall remain in the Fund. The Fund shall be administered by the Department. Moneys in the Fund shall be used solely for the purpose of providing grants to gun violence survivors who are in need of financial assistance to make accessibility adaptations to their homes to accommodate a disability resulting from a gun violence-related injury. Expenditures and disbursements from the Fund shall be made by the State Treasurer on warrants issued by the Comptroller upon written request signed by the Director.

B. The Department shall adopt guidelines for the administration of a Gun Violence Survivor Assistance Grant Program. The guidelines shall ensure that: (i) the program shall provide grants to gun violence survivors who are in need of financial assistance to make accessibility adaptations to their homes to accommodate a disability resulting from a gun violence-related injury; (ii) grants are distributed either directly to gun violence survivors or to an agency or locality for distribution to gun violence survivors; (iii) moneys from the Fund are used solely for the purposes of making accessibility adaptations to homes of gun violence survivors and administering the grant program; and (iv) grants are available only to gun violence survivors who meet eligibility criteria established by the Department.

2. That, of funds appropriated by Chapter 854 of the Acts of Assembly of 2019 to agencies administered by the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security, the Governor may allocate up to $10 million to the Gun Violence Survivors Assistance Fund established by this act.

3. That from the certified surplus general fund revenues, there is hereby appropriated $10 million to the Gun Violence Survivor Assistance Fund established by this act. If the Governor determines that less than $10 million is needed to accomplish the purposes of the Gun Violence Survivor Assistance Grant Program, any unused funds shall revert to the general fund. Additional terms and conditions relating to the payment of the grants shall be determined by the Secretary of Finance after consultation with the Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Senate Committee on Finance, or their designees. For purposes of this act, "certified surplus general fund revenues" means general fund revenues deposited in the state treasury for the Commonwealth's fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, that are in excess of the sum of (i) the official general fund revenue forecast for such year pursuant to Chapter 854 of the Acts of Assembly of 2019, (ii) deposits required to be made to the Revenue Stabilization Fund in fiscal year 2020 pursuant to §2.2-1829 of the Code of Virginia, (iii) deposits required to be made to the Revenue Reserve Fund in fiscal year 2020 pursuant to §2.2-1831.3 of the Code of Virginia, (iv) deposits required to be made to the Virginia Water Quality Improvement Fund in fiscal year 2020 pursuant to §10.1-2128 of the Code of Virginia, but excluding any deposits provided under the Virginia Natural Resources Commitment Fund established under §10.1-2128.1 of the Code of Virginia, and (v) any revenues required to be transferred to the Taxpayer Relief Fund in fiscal year 2020 pursuant to the fifth enactments of Chapters 17 and 18 of the Acts of Assembly of 2019 and §3-5.21 of Chapter 854 of the Acts of Assembly of 2019, as certified by the State Comptroller.

4. That the total amount of funds allocated to the Gun Violence Survivor Assistance Fund by the second and third enactments of this act shall not exceed $10 million.

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