Crime Victim's Compensation is a financial assistance program that helps eligible victims of crime with certain expenses related to the crime. Money for this program comes from court costs paid by criminals and deposited by each Texas county into the Crime Victims' Compensation Fund.
The Crime Victims' Compensation Program is administered by the office of the attorney general and is dedicated to ensuring that crime victims receive every possible form of assistance provided by law.
The Crime Victims' Compensation Program is available after primary sources of payment- such as health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, auto insurance or Texas Workers' Compensation- have been exhausted.
If the court orders the offender to pay restitution to the victim for an expense that Crime Victims' Compensation has already paid, the victim may be required to reimburse the Fund. If the victim or claimant recovers money through the settlement of a civil suit against the offender or a third party, he or she may also have to reimburse the Fund.
To be eligible, a person must:
- Be a resident of Texas or another state with the crime occurring in Texas, or a Texas resident who becomes a victim in another state or in a country without a compensation program
- Report the crime to a law enforcement agency within a reasonable period of time, but not so late as to interfere with or hamper the investigation and prosecution of the crime
- File the application within three years of the date of the crime
If you would like assistance in applying for this program, contact the Crime Victim Liaison at (210) 619-1250 or email hdavis@schertz.com.