| 1 | 1 | | 88R9994 JSC-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Landgraf H.B. No. 3696 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 6 | 6 | | AN ACT |
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| 7 | 7 | | relating to a study on the effectiveness of protective orders in |
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| 8 | 8 | | this state. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 1. (a) In this section: |
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| 11 | 11 | | (1) "Office" means the Office of Court Administration |
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| 12 | 12 | | of the Texas Judicial System. |
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| 13 | 13 | | (2) "Protective order" means any order that is issued |
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| 14 | 14 | | or rendered by a court and that prohibits a person from engaging in |
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| 15 | 15 | | certain specified conduct directed toward another person or |
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| 16 | 16 | | property, including: |
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| 17 | 17 | | (A) a protective order under Title 4, Family |
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| 18 | 18 | | Code; |
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| 19 | 19 | | (B) a temporary restraining order under Section |
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| 20 | 20 | | 6.501, Family Code, or a protective order under Section 6.504, |
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| 21 | 21 | | Family Code; |
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| 22 | 22 | | (C) a magistrate's order for emergency |
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| 23 | 23 | | protection under Article 17.292, Code of Criminal Procedure; and |
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| 24 | 24 | | (D) a protective order under Subchapter A, |
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| 25 | 25 | | Chapter 7B, Code of Criminal Procedure. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (b) The office shall conduct a study on the effectiveness of |
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| 27 | 27 | | protective orders in protecting victims of violence in this state. |
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| 28 | 28 | | (c) The office shall create a report based on the study |
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| 29 | 29 | | conducted under this section. The report must include: |
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| 30 | 30 | | (1) an evaluation of the effectiveness of protective |
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| 31 | 31 | | orders in protecting victims of violence in this state by deterring |
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| 32 | 32 | | the person who is the subject of the order from engaging in the |
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| 33 | 33 | | conduct prohibited under those orders; and |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2) legislative recommendations on methods to improve |
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| 35 | 35 | | the enforcement of protective orders in this state. |
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| 36 | 36 | | (d) Not later than September 1, 2024, the office shall |
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| 37 | 37 | | submit the report required under Subsection (c) of this section to |
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| 38 | 38 | | the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house of |
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| 39 | 39 | | representatives, and appropriate committees of the legislature. |
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| 40 | 40 | | (e) This section expires January 1, 2025. |
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| 41 | 41 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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| 42 | 42 | | a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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| 43 | 43 | | provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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| 44 | 44 | | Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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| 45 | 45 | | Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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