Senate Passes Manning, Lehner Bill Expanding Assistance for Victims of Crime

COLUMBUS—The Ohio Senate today passed Senate Bill 369, sponsored by State Senator Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) and Peggy Lehner (R-Kettering), which expands eligibility and rolls back certain restrictions from reparations to be paid to victims who suffer severe trauma that impedes their ability to participate in normal daily activities because of a of homicide, sexual assault or a permanently incapacitating injury. "This piece of legislation will have a significant impact on providing relief for victims and their families. It will provide necessary clarification and will update the laws to increase accessibility for victims," said Manning. "Thank you to Senator Lehner and our Senate colleagues for moving on this important bill, supporting victims of crime here in Ohio." This bill expands the definition of a victim to include a family member who was either a witness to a crime or arrived at the crime scene in the immediate aftermath. The bill also expands the definition to include caretakers of a dependent victim of sexual assault. “Senate Bill 369 will go a long way toward helping victims of crime recover from severe trauma. No one should be rejected assistance for reasons that are no fault of their own or because of events that occurred years ago," said Lehner. The bill will now be sent to the Ohio House for further consideration. For more information on Senate Bill 369, click here.