Controlled substances.

Existing law establishes the California Victim Compensation Board within the Government Operations Agency. Existing law provides for the indemnification of victims of specified types of crimes, subject to specified criteria. Existing law makes it a crime to possess for sale, sell, or transport specified controlled substances. This bill would create the Fentanyl Victim Compensation Fund and would authorize the California Victim Compensation Board to accept applications for reimbursement up to $7,500 for funeral and burial expenses arising from, and up to $5,500 for mental health counseling related to, a fatal fentanyl overdose, if those applications are submitted by a surviving parent, grandparent, sibling, child, grandchild, spouse, or fiance of the deceased. The bill would authorize the board to reimburse the person for those expenses and costs, and require that reimbursement to only be granted upon appropriation of funds from the Fentanyl Victim Compensation Fund by the Legislature for this purpose. Existing law classifies controlled substances into 5 schedules and classifies the drug fentanyl in Schedule II. Existing law authorizes a trial court to impose a fine up to $20,000 upon a person who is convicted of a violation of specified provisions of law with respect to the possession, possession for sale, or transportation of, among other controlled substances, Schedule II controlled substances. The bill would require, for a conviction involving a substance containing fentanyl, 110 of the fine collected to be deposited into the Fentanyl Victim Compensation Fund.