Restitution: priority.

Assembly Member Stefani's Restitution First Act establishes victim restitution as the highest priority payment obligation for convicted defendants in California. The legislation amends the Penal Code to require that court-ordered restitution be paid before any other fines, penalties, or fees imposed as part of a criminal sentence.

Under the bill's provisions, restitution orders will be treated as civil judgments and must be satisfied ahead of all other financial obligations, including penalty assessments and statutory fees. The measure maintains existing requirements for courts to order full restitution to victims who suffer economic losses, while adding explicit language about payment priority.

The legislation defines eligible victims broadly to include immediate family members, businesses and other legal entities directly harmed by crimes, and certain household members and caretakers. It preserves victims' rights to seek compensation from the state Restitution Fund while requiring that any restitution collected from defendants be credited against other judgments for the same losses.

For implementation, court clerks must notify the California Victim Compensation Board within 90 days when defendants are ordered to pay restitution due to victims receiving compensation from the Restitution Fund. The bill also retains current provisions allowing district attorneys to examine defendants' financial assets for collection purposes.