1998 A
new version of the federal Victims' Rights Amendment is introduced in
the Senate by Senators Jon Kyl and Dianne Feinstein. The Senate
Judiciary Committee approves the bill, SJR 44, but no further action is
taken on SJR 44 during the 105th Congress.
Four
new states passed state victims' rights constitutional amendments:
Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and Tennessee.
The
Supreme Court of Oregon overturns the Oregon state victims' rights
amendment, originally passed in 1996, citing structural deficiencies.
The
fourth National Victim Assistance Academy (NVAA), sponsored by the U.S.
Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime was held. Including
attendees of this class, the total number of NVAA graduates now number
700.
The
Child Protection and Sexual Predator Punishment Act of 1998 is enacted,
providing for numerous sentencing enhancements and other initiatives
addressing sex crimes against children, including crimes facilitated by
use of the internet.
The
Crime Victims with Disabilities Act of 1998 is passed, representing the
first effort to systematically gather information on the extent of the
problem of victimization of individuals with disabilities.
The
Identity Theft and Deterrence Act of 1998 is signed into law, outlawing
identity
theft.
