Moore

The Legislature has declared that it is in the public interest to assist residents of California in obtaining restitution for the pecuniary losses they suffer as a direct result of criminal acts. (Gov. Code, § 13950.) To this end, the Legislature established the Restitution Fund, formerly known as the Indemnity Fund, and enacted procedures by which crime victims may obtain compensation from the fund. (Gov. Code, § 13950 et seq.; further section references are to the Government Code unless otherwise specified.) A crime victim commences the process by filing an application with the California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board, formerly the State Board of Control (the Board). (§§ 13951, 13952 et seq.)

In 1996, when crime victims Jacquetta Moore and Leticia Faxas applied for assistance from the Restitution Fund, former section 13961, subdivision (c), stated: “The period prescribed for the filing of an application for *376 assistance shall be one year after the date of the crime or one year after the victim attains the age of 18 years, whichever is later. The board may for good cause grant an extension of this time period not to exceed three years after the date…