Section 2743.71. Information explaining awards of reparations provided to victims

(A) Any law enforcement agency that investigates, and any prosecuting attorney, city director of law, village solicitor, or similar prosecuting authority who prosecutes, an offense committed in this state shall, upon first contact with the victim or the victim's family or dependents, give the victim or the victim's family or dependents a copy of an information card or other printed material provided by the attorney general pursuant to division (B) of this section and explain, upon request, the information on the card or material to the victim or the victim's family or dependents.

(B) The attorney general shall have printed, and shall provide to law enforcement agencies, prosecuting attorneys, city directors of law, village solicitors, and similar prosecuting authorities, cards or other materials that contain information explaining awards of reparations. The information on the cards or other materials shall include, but shall not be limited to, the following statements:

(1) Awards of reparations are limited to losses that are caused by physical injury resulting from criminally injurious conduct;

(2) Reparations applications are required to be filed within the period provided by division (B)(1) of section 2743.56 of the Revised Code if the victim of the criminally injurious conduct was a minor;

(3) An attorney who represents an applicant for an award of reparations cannot charge the applicant for the services rendered in relation to that representation but is required to apply to the attorney general for payment for the representation;

(4) Applications for awards of reparations may be obtained from the attorney general, law enforcement agencies, and victim assistance agencies and are to be filed with the attorney general.

(C) The attorney general may order that a reasonable amount of money be paid out of the reparations fund, subject to the limitation imposed by division (D) of this section, for use by the attorney general to publicize the availability of awards of reparations.

(D) During any fiscal year, the total expenditure for the printing and providing of information cards or other materials pursuant to division (B) of this section and for the publicizing of the availability of awards of reparations pursuant to division (C) of this section shall not exceed two per cent of the total of all court costs deposited, in accordance with section 2743.70 of the Revised Code, in the reparations fund during the immediately preceding fiscal year.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 261, §1, eff. 7/10/2014.

Effective Date: 07-01-2000