Finance panel advances DOC collections bill after agency details staffing needs

The Finance Division I voted to advance House Bill 1576 after Department of Corrections officials described how the legislation would change restitution collections and victim notification responsibilities.

Jessica Cororon, assistant commissioner at the Department of Corrections, told the committee the agency currently handles about 13,000 collections cases for roughly 21,000 victims and that the bill would require more frequent financial evaluations, quarterly statements to victims and new enforcement tools (including liens and tax intercepts). To handle the added work, the department requested three additional collections officers and an accountant.

Cororon said the department previously employed more collections staff and that added personnel generated increased restitution recoveries historically. “With additional collections officers, we would be able to do additional work in terms of financial evaluations, enforcement as well as additional disbursement,” she said.

Committee members asked about the timeframe for seeing returns and whether added staff would be sufficient; DOC officials said they could provide results at the end of the fiscal year after implementation. The committee voted 8–0 to recommend passage.

What happens next: The recommendation advances HB1576 to full Finance and the House; DOC officials said they would monitor restitution recovery and report back on outcomes after implementation.