By: Herrero, Guillen, Morales of Maverick H.B. No. 1906
(Senate Sponsor - Alvarado)
(In the Senate - Received from the House April 19, 2021;
May 11, 2021, read first time and referred to Committee on
Jurisprudence; May 21, 2021, reported favorably by the following
vote: Yeas 5, Nays 0; May 21, 2021, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to grants awarded to reimburse counties for the cost of
monitoring defendants and victims in criminal cases involving
family violence.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 772.0077 to read as follows:
Sec. 772.0077. GRANT PROGRAM FOR MONITORING DEFENDANTS AND
VICTIMS IN FAMILY VIOLENCE CASES. (a) In this section:
(1) "Criminal justice division" means the criminal
justice division established under Section 772.006.
(2) "Family violence" has the meaning assigned by
Section 71.004, Family Code.
(b) The criminal justice division shall establish and
administer a grant program to reimburse counties for all or part of
the costs incurred by counties as a result of monitoring in cases
involving family violence defendants and victims who participate in
a global positioning monitoring system under Article 17.292 or
17.49, Code of Criminal Procedure. A grant recipient may use funds
from a grant awarded under the program only for monitoring
conducted for the purpose of restoring a measure of security and
safety for a victim of family violence.
(c) The criminal justice division shall establish:
(1) additional eligibility criteria for grant
applicants;
(2) grant application procedures;
(3) guidelines relating to grant amounts;
(4) procedures for evaluating grant applications; and
(5) procedures for monitoring the use of a grant
awarded under the program and ensuring compliance with any
conditions of a grant.
(d) The criminal justice division shall include in the
biennial report required by Section 772.006(a)(9) a detailed
reporting of the results and performance of the grant program
administered under this section.
(e) The criminal justice division may use any revenue
available for purposes of this section.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2021.
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