[6] This was a Progressive Era effort pushed by Governor Hiram Johnson to make the government more efficient, modeled on similar boards in Iowa and Minnesota.

[14][15] In 1967, the administration of the state's victim compensation program (which had been created in 1965) was transferred to the Board from the Department of Social Welfare.

The increasing size and complexity of state government required that uniform rules and regulations be developed and implemented regarding fiscal matters and the need for equitable treatment.

This program dealt with specific fiscal operations managed by the Board such as: review of discharge of accounts receivable by the state; refunds, credits, and cancellation of taxes; sale and disposal of unclaimed property; transfer of funds between state agencies; determination of pro-rata share of administrative costs payable by each state agency; determination of headquarters for purposes of travel claims; and hearings regarding purchase and bid protests.

In 2016, the Government Claims Program was transferred to the Department of General Services, and the agency was renamed as the Victim Compensation Board.

Among the crimes covered are domestic violence, child abuse, sexual and physical assault, homicide, robbery, drunk driving and vehicular manslaughter.

If a person meets eligibility criteria, CalVCP will compensate many types of services when the costs are not covered by other sources.

Compensation for Good Samaritans: The Board administers the provisions of California law that provide for compensation to Good Samaritans who suffer injury or loss as a result of their efforts to prevent a crime, apprehend a criminal, or rescue a person in immediate danger of injury or death.

This campaign provides a single, coordinated fund-raising drive that allows state employees to direct contributions from their paychecks to any of the hundreds of participating charitable organizations.