84R3032 ATP-D
By: Riddle H.B. No. 776
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of a public integrity unit in the office of
the attorney general to prosecute offenses against public
administration, including ethics offenses, and offenses involving
insurance fraud or the imposition of the motor fuels tax.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 402, Government Code, is amended by
adding Subchapter D to read as follows:
SUBCHAPTER D. PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT
Sec. 402.101. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:
(1) "Offense" means a prohibited act for which state
law imposes a criminal or civil penalty.
(2) "Prosecute" means represent the state to impose a
criminal or civil penalty.
(3) "Prosecuting attorney" means a district attorney,
criminal district attorney, or county attorney.
Sec. 402.102. OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. For
purposes of this subchapter, the following are offenses against
public administration:
(1) an offense under Title 8, Penal Code, committed by
a state officer or a state employee in connection with the powers
and duties of the state office or state employment;
(2) an offense under Chapter 301, 302, 305, 571, 572,
or 2004;
(3) an offense under Chapter 573 committed by a state
officer in connection with the powers and duties of the state
office; and
(4) an offense under Title 15, Election Code,
committed in connection with a campaign for or the holding of state
office.
Sec. 402.103. OFFENSES INVOLVING INSURANCE FRAUD. For
purposes of this subchapter, the following are offenses involving
insurance fraud:
(1) an offense under Chapter 35, Penal Code, including
an offense under that chapter that involves workers' compensation
insurance under Title 5, Labor Code; or
(2) a fraudulent insurance act as defined by Section
701.001, Insurance Code, including an act that involves workers'
compensation insurance under Title 5, Labor Code.
Sec. 402.104. OFFENSES INVOLVING MOTOR FUELS TAX. For
purposes of this subchapter, an offense involving the motor fuels
tax means an offense involving compliance with the requirements
relating to the imposition of the motor fuels tax imposed under
Chapter 162, Tax Code, including an offense described by Section
162.403, Tax Code.
Sec. 402.105. PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT. The public integrity
unit is in the office of the attorney general.
Sec. 402.106. PROSECUTION BY PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT. (a) In
any district or county court of appropriate jurisdiction and venue,
the public integrity unit may prosecute a person for:
(1) an offense against public administration;
(2) an offense involving insurance fraud; or
(3) an offense involving the motor fuels tax.
(b) The public integrity unit must assert the right to
prosecute under this section in writing to the appropriate
prosecuting attorney. If the unit asserts the right to prosecute
under this section:
(1) the unit has all the powers of the prosecuting
attorney, including the power to represent the state before a grand
jury; and
(2) the prosecuting attorney may not prosecute the
same person for the same act, but on request of the unit shall
assist in the prosecution.
Sec. 402.107. COOPERATION OF STATE AGENCIES AND LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. (a) To the extent allowed by law, a state
agency or local law enforcement agency shall cooperate with the
public integrity unit by providing information requested by the
unit as necessary to carry out the purposes of this subchapter.
(b) Information disclosed under this section is
confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552.
Sec. 402.108. VENUE. Notwithstanding Chapter 13, Code of
Criminal Procedure, or other law, if the defendant is a natural
person, venue for a prosecution by the public integrity unit is in
the county in which the defendant resides.
SECTION 2. Sections 301.027(b) and (c), Government Code,
are amended to read as follows:
(b) If the president of the senate or speaker receives a
report or statement of facts as provided by Subsection (a), the
president of the senate or speaker shall certify the statement of
facts to the public integrity unit of the office of the attorney
general [Travis County district attorney] under the seal of the
senate or house of representatives, as appropriate.
(c) The public integrity unit [Travis County district
attorney] shall bring the matter before the grand jury for action.
If the grand jury returns an indictment, the public integrity unit
[district attorney] shall prosecute the indictment.
SECTION 3. Section 402.009, Government Code, is amended to
read as follows:
Sec. 402.009. AUTHORITY TO EMPLOY AND COMMISSION PEACE
OFFICERS. The attorney general may employ and commission peace
officers as investigators for:
(1) the limited purpose of assisting the attorney
general in carrying out the duties of that office relating to
prosecution assistance and crime prevention; or
(2) the purpose of investigating offenses against
public administration, offenses involving insurance fraud, and
offenses involving the imposition of the motor fuels tax that may be
prosecuted under Subchapter D.
SECTION 4. Section 35.04, Penal Code, is amended to read as
follows:
Sec. 35.04. JURISDICTION OF ATTORNEY GENERAL. (a) As
provided by Section 402.106, Government Code, the public integrity
unit of the office of the attorney general may prosecute an offense
under Section 35.02.
(b) If the public integrity unit does not assert its right
as provided by Section 402.106, Government Code, to prosecute an
offense under Section 35.02, the [The] attorney general may:
(1) offer to an attorney representing the state in the
prosecution of the [an] offense [under Section 35.02] the
investigative, technical, and litigation assistance of the
attorney general's office; or
(2) [.
[(b) The attorney general may prosecute or] assist in the
prosecution of the [an] offense [under Section 35.02] on the
request of the attorney representing the state [described by
Subsection (a)].
SECTION 5. (a) Not later than March 1, 2016, the attorney
general shall establish the public integrity unit under Subchapter
D, Chapter 402, Government Code, as added by this Act.
(b) Subchapter D, Chapter 402, Government Code, as added by
this Act, applies only to the prosecution of an offense against
public administration, an offense involving insurance fraud, or an
offense involving the imposition of the motor fuels tax committed
on or after April 1, 2016. For purposes of this section, an offense
is committed before April 1, 2016, if any element of the offense
occurs before that date.
(c) The prosecution of an offense committed before April 1,
2016, is covered by the law in effect when the offense was
committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that
purpose, except that a county attorney, district attorney, or
criminal district attorney may, on the request of the attorney
general, permit the public integrity unit established under
Subchapter D, Chapter 402, Government Code, as added by this Act, to
assume the prosecution of such an offense.
SECTION 6. This Act takes effect January 1, 2016, but only
if the constitutional amendment proposed by the 84th Legislature,
Regular Session, 2015, to permit the attorney general to prosecute
offenses against public administration, including ethics offenses,
and offenses involving insurance fraud or the imposition of the
motor fuels tax, takes effect. If that amendment is not approved by
the voters, this Act has no effect.