Section 706. Emergency awards.
(a) Authorization.--Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 704 and 707, if it appears to the Office of Victims' Services that the claim is one with respect to which an award probably will be made and that undue hardship will result to the claimant if immediate payment is not made, the Office of Victims' Services may make an emergency award to the claimant pending a final decision in the case. The following shall apply:
(1) The total amount of the emergency award shall not exceed a rate set by the Office of Victims' Services. ((1) amended July 11, 2022, P.L.775, No.77)
(2) The amount of the emergency award shall be deducted from any final award made to the claimant.
(3) The excess of the amount of the emergency award over the amount of the final award or the full amount of the emergency award if no final award is made shall be repaid by the claimant to the Office of Victims' Services.
(b) Reconsideration.--The Office of Victims' Services may reconsider an emergency award at any time prior to the final decision in the case and increase previous orders for emergency compensation up to the overall limit of a rate set by the Office of Victims' Services. ((b) amended July 11, 2022, P.L.775, No.77)
(c) Compilation.--The Office of Victims' Services shall compute the total number and amount of emergency awards given in each fiscal year for inclusion in the annual report.
(706 amended June 28, 2002, P.L.496, No.85)
Compiler's Note: Section 16 of Act 77 of 2022 provided that the amendment or addition of sections 103, 201(1.1), (4), (5.2), (7), (8), (8.1), (9), (11) and (13), 211, 212(b), (c), (e) and (f), 213(a), (b), (d), (e), (f) and (g), 214(a), (b) and (f), 216(b) and (d), 301(a) and (c), 302(5), (6) and (7), 312(3), 701(a)(7) and (8), 701.1, 702(a) introductory paragraph, (b), (b.1) and (c), 703, 704(b)(1) and (e), 706(a)(1) and (b), 707(a)(3) and (4), (a.1), (a.2), (b)(1), (2), (4) and (4.1), (f)(1), (3) and (4) and (g), 709(a), 901, 1101(b), 1102(a), (b), (c), (d) and (e)(1), 1301(b) and 1304(a) and (b) shall apply to claims where the crime occurred after the effective date of section 16, except for claims for counseling services relating to sexual abuse under section 701.1.