Texas 2021 - 87th Regular

Texas House Bill HB1706 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1		-	H.B. No. 1706
	1	+	By: Neave, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Huffman) H.B. No. 1706
	2	+	(In the Senate - Received from the House May 3, 2021;
	3	+	May 10, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on
	4	+	Jurisprudence; May 21, 2021, reported favorably by the following
	5	+	vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 21, 2021, sent to printer.)
	6	+	Click here to see the committee vote
2	7
3	8
	9	+	A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
4	10		AN ACT
5	11		relating to a specialty court program to provide victim services in
6	12		sexual assault cases.
7	13		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
8	14		SECTION 1. Title 2, Government Code, is amended by adding
9	15		Subtitle K-1 to read as follows:
10	16		SUBTITLE K-1. SPECIALTY COURTS FOR VICTIM SERVICES
11	17		CHAPTER 141. SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM SERVICES COURT PROGRAM
12	18		Sec. 141.001. SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM SERVICES COURT PROGRAM
13	19		DEFINED. In this chapter, "sexual assault victim services court
14	20		program" means a program that has the following essential
15	21		characteristics:
16	22		(1) the integration of services provided by public
17	23		agencies and community organizations for victims in sexual assault
18	24		cases who voluntarily agree to participate in the program;
19	25		(2) the use of prosecutors with experience in
20	26		prosecuting sexual assault cases and judges with experience in
21	27		hearing sexual assault cases;
22	28		(3) early identification and prompt assignment of
23	29		eligible cases to the court designated under Section 141.002(b);
24	30		(4) access for victims participating in the program to
25	31		counseling and other related services provided by public agencies
26	32		and community organizations;
27	33		(5) development of partnerships with public agencies
28	34		and community organizations;
29	35		(6) monitoring and evaluation of program goals and
30	36		effectiveness;
31	37		(7) continuing interdisciplinary education to promote
32	38		effective program planning, implementation, and operations;
33	39		(8) inclusion of a participant's family members who
34	40		voluntarily agree to be involved in the services provided to the
35	41		participant under the program;
36	42		(9) prosecution of sexual assault offenses;
37	43		(10) issuance of protective orders for victims on the
38	44		victim's consent and as authorized by state law; and
39	45		(11) continued monitoring of sexual assault
40	46		defendants through prosecution and adjudication and for the
41	47		duration of convicted offenders' sentences.
42	48		Sec. 141.002. AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH PROGRAM; ELIGIBILITY.
43	49		(a) The commissioners court of a county may establish a sexual
44	50		assault victim services court program for participants who:
45	51		(1) are victims of an alleged sexual assault in which a
46	52		person is arrested for or charged with an offense under Chapter 21
47	53		or 22, Penal Code, committed against the victim; and
48	54		(2) voluntarily agree to participate in the program.
49	55		(b) The local administrative district and statutory county
50	56		court judges of the county may designate a court in the county for
51	57		assignment of cases described by Subsection (a). The judge of the
52	58		designated court must have experience hearing sexual assault cases
53	59		under Chapter 21 or 22, Penal Code. The prosecuting attorney for
54	60		the court must have experience in prosecuting sexual assault
55	61		offenses under Chapter 21 or 22, Penal Code.
56	62		Sec. 141.003. DUTIES OF SEXUAL ASSAULT VICTIM SERVICES
57	63		COURT PROGRAM. (a) A sexual assault victim services court program
58	64		established under this chapter must:
59	65		(1) ensure that a victim eligible for participation in
60	66		the program voluntarily agrees to participate in the program; and
61	67		(2) allow a participant to withdraw from the program
62	68		at any time.
63	69		(b) A sexual assault victim services court program
64	70		established under this chapter shall make, establish, and publish
65	71		local procedures to ensure maximum participation of eligible
66	72		victims in the county.
67	73		Sec. 141.004. GIFTS, GRANTS, AND DONATIONS. A county may
68	74		accept a gift, grant, donation, or bequest of money, services,
69	75		equipment, goods, or other tangible or intangible property from any
70	76		source for the sexual assault victim services court program.
71	77		SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
72		-	______________________________ ______________________________
73		-	President of the Senate Speaker of the House
74		-	I certify that H.B. No. 1706 was passed by the House on April
75		-	30, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 129, Nays 0, 1 present, not
76		-	voting.
77		-	______________________________
78		-	Chief Clerk of the House
79		-	I certify that H.B. No. 1706 was passed by the Senate on May
80		-	27, 2021, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.
81		-	______________________________
82		-	Secretary of the Senate
83		-	APPROVED: _____________________
84		-	Date
85		-	_____________________
86		-	Governor
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