Federal crime victim benefits now have a 270-day decision deadline
H.R. 1360 — Officer John Barnes Act · Filed by Randy Weber (R-TX) · 9 cosponsors · Introduced Feb 13, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill requires the federal government to decide whether someone qualifies for crime victim compensation benefits within 270 days of filing a claim, instead of leaving decisions indefinitely pending. It amends the existing federal crime victim assistance program to impose a hard deadline for eligibility determinations.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a procedural deadline — it does not expand benefits, change eligibility criteria, or alter funding. It is a timing requirement imposed on an existing federal program.
What the text implies
- The 270-day deadline may create pressure on the Bureau to make faster determinations, potentially affecting quality of eligibility review if staffing or resources are insufficient.
- No provision addresses what happens if the Bureau misses the deadline — the bill does not specify remedies, penalties, or whether claimants can challenge delayed determinations.
- The deadline applies only to eligibility determination, not to actual benefit payment — claimants may still face delays between approval and receipt of funds.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Crime victims filing for federal compensation benefits gain a guaranteed timeline for decisions, eliminating indefinite waiting periods and reducing administrative limbo. The deadline creates accountability and predictability for a vulnerable population seeking assistance.
Named in the bill
Bureau (federal crime victim compensation authority), Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, Section 1205
Where it stands
9 cosponsors: 9 Republicans.
- Feb 13, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Feb 13, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on the Judiciary · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (422 characters) on Aug 16, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
“Federal crime victim benefits now have a 270-day decision deadline” QuorumCivic. https://share.quorumcivic.app/bill/119/hr1360 Report an error
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