Aid panel eyeing March
Draft guidelines set rules for eligibility
Victims and survivors of the Oct. 1 Las Vegas shooting can expect to start receiving money raised on their behalf through the Las Vegas Victims Fund around March.
The Las Vegas Victims Fund committee released a draft of guidelines Thursday that lists an estimated timeline of events and that spells out who will be eligible for funds.
Families of those who were killed in the shooting and people who suffered permanent brain damage or permanent paralysis resulting in continuous home medical aid would receive the highest level of payment out of the fund, the draft guidelines propose.
People who were physically injured and admitted to a hospital within 48 hours of the shooting for at least one night between Oct. 1 and Jan. 31 would receive the next level of funding, according to the draft.
People who suffered nonphysical injuries would not be eligible for funding in the current draft because of the scope of the tragedy and the vast needs, said Scott Nielson, chairman of the Las Vegas Victims Fund committee.
The committee scheduled two town hall meetings to receive public comment and discuss the terms and conditions of the draft protocol. The meetings are set for 10:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Nov. 28 at the Clark County Government Center commission chambers.
People can provide feedback and input relating to the protocol via email, to comments@lasvegas victimsfund.org.
Limitations
“These funds are to be distributed to those who have been the most severely impacted by loss of life or physical injury,” the draft said. “It is not possible to include all of the individuals impacted by 1 October and the criteria set by the LVVF in this protocol is by no means intended to devalue or minimize the trauma that has been experienced by a greatmany.”
More than 22,000 people were at the Route 91 Harvest festival in Las Vegas on Oct. 1 when a gunman sprayed bullets onto the crowd, killing 58 concertgoers and injuring 546.
Nielson said the committee has not yet set a time for when the fund will stop collecting money.
“We want to encourage everyone to contribute as much as they can by the end of the year,” he said.
More than $15 million has been raised as of Thursday for victims’ families and survivors, lagging behind funds raised in other tragedies with fewer people killed and injured.
“Should sufficient additional funds be received by the LVVF after the initial distribution, a supplemental distribution may be made to eligible claimants,” Nielson said.
He said the committee will determine what constitutes a “sufficient” amount of funds and what will be done with money received if it is deemed to be an amount not sufficient enough to go through another round of disbursements.
The process
The committee will accept feedback on the draft protocol until Dec. 8 and will adopt a final protocol on Dec. 11, according to the estimated timeline of events.
Whenthefinalprotocolis adopted, a “claim form” will become available for applicants to complete. Only one claim should be submitted by or on behalf of each victim, and the claim form will detail what type of supporting documentation will be required.
The draft protocol said that each decedent or victim for whom a claim is submitted will be validated by the FBI as a victim of the Oct. 1 attack. No money will be disbursed to anybody listed on the U.S. Department of Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control, Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons list.
The protocol is available on the
Las Vegas Victims Fund website, lasvegasvictimsfund.org, launched Thursday evening and will be available on the National Compassion Fund website, nationalcompassionfund.org, and at Clark County’s website, clarkcountynv.gov, Nielson said.
Contact Nicole Raz at nraz@ reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4512. Follow @Journalistnikki on Twitter.