Committee approves bill to prioritize victim restitution over court fees

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted to pass House Bill 1550 after a brief presentation by State Representative Steve Unger, R-District 19. Unger told the panel the measure, drafted at the request of local prosecutors, would prioritize victims’ restitution payments so victims get money to repair property or replace essential items before court fees are paid.

"This simply puts money in the victim's hands faster," Unger said, describing the bill as a practical change aimed at helping crime victims obtain restitution sooner. He told senators the measure passed the House by a margin of 99–0.

Committee members asked a few technical questions about which courts the bill would affect; Unger said the measure applies to the courts listed in the statute and is intended to speed payments to victims rather than reduce existing remedies. With no public testimony for or against the measure, the committee adopted a motion to pass the bill by voice vote.

The committee’s action was procedural: the bill will move forward to the next step in the legislative process. The committee did not record roll-call votes on the record during the hearing.

The committee recessed later to continue work on other matters.

Ending: The committee approved HB 1550 and will transmit it to the next stage of consideration.