Eligibility

Requirements

To be eligible for financial assistance through the Crime Victims' Compensation program, you must:

Be a resident of Texas, a resident of another state with the crime occurring in Texas, or a Texas resident who becomes a victim in another state or country without a compensation program
File the application within three years of the date of the crime
Report the crime to a law enforcement agency within a reasonable period of time but not so late as to interfere with or hamper the investigation and prosecution of the crime

Examples of people who may qualify for the Crime Victims' Compensation program include:

An authorized individual acting on behalf of a victim
A dependent of a victim
Immediate family or household members related by blood or marriage who require counseling as a result of the crime
An innocent victim of crime who suffers substantial threat of physical and/or emotional harm or death
An intervenor who goes to the aid of a victim or peace officer
A peace officer, firefighter, or individual who has a duty to protect the public and is injured in a crime
A person who legally assumes the obligations or voluntarily pays certain expenses related to the crime on behalf of the victim

Benefits may be reduced or denied if the victim:

Contributed to the crime
Did not cooperate with the appropriate law enforcement agencies
Engaged in illegal activity
Knowingly or intentionally submitted false or forged information to the Crime Victims’ Compensation program
Participated in the crime
Was an inmate at the time of the crime