Texas 2015 84th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1447 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 03/24/2015

                    84R14227 JSC-F
 By: Dale, Márquez, Herrero H.B. No. 1447
 Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1447:
 By:  Herrero C.S.H.B. No. 1447


 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 AN ACT
 relating to protective orders for certain victims of sexual assault
 or abuse, stalking, or trafficking.
 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 SECTION 1.  Article 7A.01(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, is
 amended to read as follows:
 (a)  The following persons may file an application for a
 protective order under this chapter without regard to the
 relationship between the applicant and the alleged offender:
 (1)  a person who is the victim of an offense under
 Section 21.02, 21.11, 22.011, 22.021, or 42.072, Penal Code;
 (2)  a person who is the victim of an offense under
 Section 20A.02, 20A.03, or 43.05, Penal Code;
 (3)  a parent or guardian acting on behalf of a person
 younger than 17 years of age who is the victim of an offense listed
 in Subdivision (1);
 (4)  a parent or guardian acting on behalf of a person
 younger than 18 years of age who is the victim of an offense listed
 in Subdivision (2); or
 (5)  a prosecuting attorney acting on behalf of a
 person described by Subdivision (1) or (2).
 SECTION 2.  The heading to Article 56.021, Code of Criminal
 Procedure, is amended to read as follows:
 Art. 56.021.  RIGHTS OF VICTIM OF SEXUAL ASSAULT OR ABUSE,
 STALKING, OR TRAFFICKING.
 SECTION 3.  Article 56.021, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
 amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
 (d)  This subsection applies only to a victim of an offense
 under Section 20A.02, 20A.03, 21.02, 21.11, 22.011, 22.021, 42.072,
 or 43.05, Penal Code. In addition to the rights enumerated in
 Article 56.02 and, if applicable, Subsection (a) of this article, a
 victim described by this subsection or a parent or guardian of the
 victim is entitled to the following rights within the criminal
 justice system:
 (1)  the right to have the attorney representing the
 state, on request of the victim or victim's parent or guardian, as
 applicable, and subject to the Texas Disciplinary Rules of
 Professional Conduct, file an application for a protective order
 under Article 7A.01 on behalf of the victim;
 (2)  the right to be informed:
 (A)  that the victim or the victim's parent or
 guardian, as applicable, may file an application for a protective
 order under Article 7A.01;
 (B)  of the court in which the application for a
 protective order may be filed; and
 (C)  that, on request of the victim or victim's
 parent or guardian, as applicable, and subject to the Texas
 Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, the attorney
 representing the state is required to file the application for a
 protective order;
 (3)  if the victim or victim's parent or guardian, as
 applicable, is present when the defendant is convicted or placed on
 deferred adjudication community supervision, the right to be given
 by the court the information described by Subdivision (2) and, if
 the court has jurisdiction over applications for protective orders
 that are filed under Article 7A.01, the right to file an application
 for a protective order immediately following the defendant's
 conviction or placement on deferred adjudication community
 supervision; and
 (4)  if the victim or victim's parent or guardian, as
 applicable, is not present when the defendant is convicted or
 placed on deferred adjudication community supervision, the right to
 be given by the attorney representing the state the information
 described by Subdivision (2).
 SECTION 4.  The change in law made by this Act applies to a
 victim of criminally injurious conduct for which a judgment of
 conviction is entered or a grant of deferred adjudication is made on
 or after the effective date of this Act, regardless of whether the
 criminally injurious conduct occurred before, on, or after the
 effective date of this Act.
 SECTION 5.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.