SF 102: Children’s Advocacy Centers
2007 General Session

Sponsor: Sen. Kit Jennings (R-S28, Casper); co-sponsors Sens. Pat Aullman (R-S16, Thayne), John Barrasso (R-S27, Casper), Stan Cooper (R-S14, Kemmerer) and Reps. Bob Brechtel (R-H38, Casper), Kathy Davison (R-H20, Kemmerer), Keith Gingery (R-H23, Jackson)

SF 102 would have amended Wyoming’s Crime Victim’s Compensation Act to allow children’s advocacy centers to apply for state and federal funding from the attorney general’s office, through the crime victim’s compensation program. Children’s advocacy centers provide comprehensive services to children who are victims of sexual and physical abuse and neglect.

As proposed in SF 102, the division of victim services in the attorney general’s office would have developed minimum program standards, reporting requirements, and rules to distribute funding to eligible children’s advocacy centers. Centers would have been eligible for funding to cover expenses up to five percent of their total funding. SF 102 would have appropriated $1.5 million from the general fund to pay for the program.

The Senate Education Committee unanimously passed SF 102 (with Senator Bob Peck, R-S26, Riverton, excused). The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a DO NOT PASS recommendation on SF 102, on a 3-2 vote. Voting for the DO NOT PASS recommendation (i.e., against the bill) were Senators Curt Meier (R-S3, LaGrange), Phil Nicholas (R-S10, Laramie) and Ray Peterson (R-S19, Cowley). Voting against the DO-NOT-PASS recommendation (i.e., voting to support the bill) were Senators Rae Lynn Job (D-S12, Rock Springs) and Charles Townsend (R-S1, Osage).

The Senate Committee of the Whole did not consider the bill, so it died without a floor vote.

ENGROSSED