Texas 2019 - 86th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1531 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	~~86R23030~~ YDB-D
	1	+	86R9327 YDB-D
2	2		By: Neave H.B. No. 1531
3		-	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 1531:
4		-	By: White C.S.H.B. No. 1531
5	3
6	4
7	5		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
8	6		AN ACT
9		-	relating to a specialty court ~~program~~ for sexual assault ~~victim~~
10		-	services.
	7	+	relating to the creation of a specialty court for sexual assault
	8	+	victim services.
11	9		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	10		SECTION 1. Title 2, Government Code, is amended by adding
13	11		Subtitle K-1 to read as follows:
14	12		SUBTITLE K-1. SPECIALTY COURTS FOR VICTIMS
15	13		CHAPTER 141. SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM SERVICES COURT PROGRAM
16	14		Sec. 141.001. SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM SERVICES COURT PROGRAM
17	15		DEFINED. In this chapter, "sexual assault victim services court
18	16		program" means a program that has the following essential
19	17		characteristics:
20	18		(1) the integration of services provided by public
21	19		agencies and community organizations for victims in sexual assault
22	20		cases;
23	21		(2) the use of prosecutors with experience in
24		-	prosecuting sexual assault cases and judges with experience in
25		-	hearing sexual assault cases;
26		-	(3) early identification and prompt assignment of
27		-	eligible cases to the court designated under Section 141.002(b);
	22	+	prosecuting sexual assault cases;
	23	+	(3) early identification and prompt placement of
	24	+	eligible victims in the program;
28	25		(4) access by victims to counseling and other related
29	26		services provided by public agencies and community organizations;
30	27		(5) development of partnerships with public agencies
31	28		and community organizations;
32	29		(6) monitoring and evaluation of program goals and
33	30		effectiveness;
34	31		(7) continuing interdisciplinary education to promote
35		-	effective program planning, implementation, and operations;
	32	+	effective program planning, implementation, and operations; and
36	33		(8) inclusion of a participant's family members who
37	34		agree to be involved in the services provided to the participant
38		-	under the program;
39		-	(9) prosecution of sexual assault offenses;
40		-	(10) issuance of orders of protection to victims on
41		-	the victim's consent and as authorized by state law; and
42		-	(11) continued monitoring of sexual assault
43		-	defendants through prosecution and adjudication and for the
44		-	duration of an offender's sentence.
	35	+	under the program.
45	36		Sec. 141.002. AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH PROGRAM; ELIGIBILITY.
46	37		(a) The commissioners court of a county may establish a sexual
47	38		assault victim services court program for participants who are
48	39		victims of an alleged sexual assault in which a person is arrested
49	40		for or charged with an offense under Chapter 21 or 22, Penal Code.
50	41		(b) The local administrative judge, for the courts for which
51		-	the judge serves as local administrative judge, may designate a
52		-	court in the county for assignment of cases described by Subsection
53		-	(a). The judge of the court must have experience hearing sexual
54		-	assault cases under Chapter 21 or 22, Penal Code. The prosecuting
55		-	attorney for the court must have experience in prosecuting sexual
56		-	assault offenses under Chapter 21 or 22, Penal Code.
	42	+	the judge serves as local administrative judge, may select a court
	43	+	in the county for assignment of cases described by Subsection (a).
	44	+	The prosecuting attorney for the court must have experience in
	45	+	prosecuting sexual assault offenses under Chapter 21 or 22, Penal
	46	+	Code.
57	47		Sec. 141.003. DUTIES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM SERVICES
58	48		COURT PROGRAM. (a) A sexual assault victim services court program
59	49		established under this chapter must:
60	50		(1) ensure that a victim eligible for participation in
61	51		the program volunteers to proceed through the program; and
62	52		(2) allow a participant to withdraw from the program
63	53		at any time.
64	54		(b) A sexual assault victim services court program
65	55		established under this chapter shall make, establish, and publish
66	56		local procedures to ensure maximum participation of eligible
67	57		victims in the county.
68	58		Sec. 141.004. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. A county may
69	59		accept a gift, grant, donation, or bequest of money, services,
70	60		equipment, goods, or other tangible or intangible property from any
71	61		source for the sexual assault victim services court program.
72	62		SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019.