State Sen. Declan O'Scanlon, R-Monmouth, is backing a bill that he says will help crime victims by making them more aware of the Victims of Crime Compensation Fund.

O'Scanlon says it would help victims when they are hospitalized in an emergency room, at point of contact. He says the way it stands now, "it is much more likely that you will see information about these funds at police stations."

O'Scanlon says that's where they take the perpetrators.

The bill would require information  about the Victims of Crime Compensation Fund to be posted where it can be seen in hospital ERs.

"It is a small but significant and obvious step in the right direction," he said.

He says we are leaving more than $3 million for victims on the table annually and sending back federal dollars earmarked for the fund.

New Jersey 101.5's David Matthau reported in May that the fund's expenses skyrocketed between 2014 and 2016, while payments to victims during the same period decreased by $1.5 million.

There have also been calls to remove the fund from control of the State Treasury and move it into the Department of Law and Public Safety.

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