| 1 | 1 | | By: Ramos H.B. No. 1475 |
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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 continuing judicial training regarding family violence |
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| 7 | 7 | | victims. |
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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. Section 22.110(b), Government Code, is amended |
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| 10 | 10 | | to read as follows: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (b) The court of criminal appeals shall adopt the rules |
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| 12 | 12 | | necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section. The rules |
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| 13 | 13 | | must: |
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| 14 | 14 | | (1) require each district judge, judge of a statutory |
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| 15 | 15 | | county court, associate judge appointed under Chapter 54A of this |
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| 16 | 16 | | code or Chapter 201, Family Code, master, referee, and magistrate |
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| 17 | 17 | | to complete [at least 12 hours of the training] within the judge's |
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| 18 | 18 | | first term of office or the judicial officer's first four years of |
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| 19 | 19 | | service and provide [a method for] certification of completion of |
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| 20 | 20 | | at least 12 hours of [that] training that includes: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (A) at [. At] least four hours [of the training |
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| 22 | 22 | | must be] dedicated to issues related to trafficking of persons and |
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| 23 | 23 | | child abuse and neglect that cover [and must cover] at least two of |
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| 24 | 24 | | the topics described in Subsections (d)(8)-(12); and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (B) at [. At] least six hours [of the training |
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| 26 | 26 | | must be] dedicated to the training described by Subsections (d)(5), |
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| 27 | 27 | | (6), and (7); |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) [. The rules must] require each judge and judicial |
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| 29 | 29 | | officer to complete [an additional five hours of training] during |
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| 30 | 30 | | each additional term in office or four years of service an |
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| 31 | 31 | | additional five hours of training that includes: |
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| 32 | 32 | | (A) at [. At] least two hours [of the additional |
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| 33 | 33 | | training must be] dedicated to issues related to trafficking of |
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| 34 | 34 | | persons and child abuse and neglect; and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (B) at least one hour dedicated to the dynamics |
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| 36 | 36 | | and effects of being a victim of family violence; |
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| 37 | 37 | | (3) require each judge of a court having primary |
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| 38 | 38 | | responsibility for or giving preference to family law or family |
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| 39 | 39 | | violence matters to complete an additional two hours of training |
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| 40 | 40 | | every two years dedicated to the dynamics and effects of being a |
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| 41 | 41 | | victim of family violence; and |
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| 42 | 42 | | (4) [. The rules must] exempt from the training |
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| 43 | 43 | | requirement of this subsection each judge or judicial officer who |
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| 44 | 44 | | files an affidavit stating that the judge or judicial officer does |
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| 45 | 45 | | not hear any cases involving family violence, sexual assault, |
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| 46 | 46 | | trafficking of persons, or child abuse and neglect. |
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| 47 | 47 | | SECTION 2. (a) Not later than December 1, 2023, the Texas |
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| 48 | 48 | | Court of Criminal Appeals shall adopt the rules necessary to |
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| 49 | 49 | | provide the training required under Section 22.110, Government |
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| 50 | 50 | | Code, as amended by this Act. |
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| 51 | 51 | | (b) Notwithstanding Section 22.110, Government Code, as |
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| 52 | 52 | | amended by this Act, a judge, master, referee, and magistrate who is |
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| 53 | 53 | | in office on the effective date of this Act must complete the |
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| 54 | 54 | | training required by Section 22.110, Government Code, as amended by |
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| 55 | 55 | | this Act, as applicable, not later than December 1, 2025. |
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| 56 | 56 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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