- (a) An applicant may indicate on the application that he or she is applying for an emergency award.
- (b) Upon receipt of an application for an emergency award, the Board shall expedite the process of verifying the application to determine if an emergency award is appropriate. The Board shall make telephone calls and transmit documents electronically or by facsimile to obtain information necessary to evaluate an application for an emergency award.
(c) An emergency award may be allowed when it is necessary to avoid or mitigate a substantial hardship to the applicant that is the direct result of the qualifying crime, and the Board has no reason to believe the applicant will be ineligible for compensation. Substantial hardship means an inability to meet the immediate needs of the applicant, which may include but is not limited to an immediate need for assistance with:
- (1) The necessities of life, including shelter, food, medical care, or personal safety.
- (2) Funeral and burial expenses; and
- (3) Crime scene cleaning expenses as described in Government Code section 13957, subdivision (a)(9).
- (d) The amount of an emergency award shall be based on the applicant's immediate financial need as a direct result of the qualifying crime. Immediate financial need shall be determined by the financial assistance needed to avoid substantial hardship before the receipt of non-emergency assistance.
- (e) An applicant for an emergency award shall provide sufficient information to substantiate an emergency award is necessary to avoid substantial hardship, or the applicant has an immediate financial need for an emergency award as a direct result of the qualifying crime.
- (f) If sufficient information as required by subdivision (e) is not provided, an application for an emergency award shall be processed as an application for non-emergency assistance. The amount of the emergency award being requested shall be considered when determining the amount or type of information required to verify the application for an emergency award.
- (g) If an emergency award is allowed, payment shall be issued within 30 days of the date the application is received, unless the applicant consents to a delay in payment.
Note: Authority cited: Section 13920(c), Government Code. Reference: Section 13952.5, Government Code.
History
1. Change without regulatory effect repealing former Section 649.8, and renumbering and amendment of Section 649.15 to Section 649.8 filed 9-28-87; operative 10-28-87 (Register 87, No. 41).
2. Change without regulatory effect pursuant to Title 1, California Code of Regulations, Section 100(b)(3) filed 2-16-90 (Register 90, No. 9).
3. Change without regulatory effect renumbering former section 649.8 to section 649.36 and renumbering former section 649.11 to section 649.8 filed 12-6-2007 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2007, No. 49).
4. Amendment of subsection (b) filed 6-12-2009; operative 7-12-2009 (Register 2009, No. 24).
5. Amendment of subsections (a), (b) and (e) filed 8-12-2014; operative 10-1-2014 (Register 2014, No. 33).
6. Amendment of subsections (a)-(c)(2) and new subsections (c)(3) and (g) filed 1-13-2026; operative 4-1-2026 (Register 2026, No. 3).