| 1 | 1 | | By: Gutierrez H.B. No. 4040 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 5 | 5 | | AN ACT |
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| 6 | 6 | | relating to a pilot program for the establishment of a call center |
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| 7 | 7 | | to assist victims of sexual assault. |
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| 8 | 8 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 9 | 9 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 411, Government Code, is |
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| 10 | 10 | | amended by adding Section 411.0210 to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | Sec. 411.0210. STATEWIDE CALL CENTER TO ASSIST SEXUAL |
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| 12 | 12 | | ASSAULT VICTIMS. (a) The department shall establish a pilot |
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| 13 | 13 | | program for a statewide call center to assist victims of sexual |
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| 14 | 14 | | assault. |
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| 15 | 15 | | (b) The call center shall maintain a 24-hour statewide |
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| 16 | 16 | | toll-free telephone line operated in English and Spanish and |
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| 17 | 17 | | staffed by trained employees and volunteers. The call center shall |
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| 18 | 18 | | provide information to victims of sexual assault and shall direct |
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| 19 | 19 | | victims to appropriate external resources. Information provided to |
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| 20 | 20 | | victims of sexual assault may include information on crime victim |
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| 21 | 21 | | compensation, forensic examination, and counseling. The call |
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| 22 | 22 | | center shall coordinate with other state and local governmental |
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| 23 | 23 | | entities and organizations in this state to identify resources |
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| 24 | 24 | | available to assist victims of sexual assault. |
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| 25 | 25 | | (c) Information held by the call center that identifies a |
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| 26 | 26 | | victim of sexual assault is not public information for purposes of |
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| 27 | 27 | | Chapter 552, Government Code. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (d) Not later than December 31, 2018, the department shall |
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| 29 | 29 | | submit a report to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of |
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| 30 | 30 | | the house of representatives, and members of the legislature |
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| 31 | 31 | | evaluating pilot program. |
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| 32 | 32 | | (e) Unless this section is continued in effect by the |
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| 33 | 33 | | legislature, this section expires September 1, 2019. |
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| 34 | 34 | | SECTION 2. |
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| 35 | 35 | | This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |
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