| 1 | 1 | | 88R21342 CJD-F |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Walle H.B. No. 4318 |
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| 3 | 3 | | Substitute the following for H.B. No. 4318: |
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| 4 | 4 | | By: Canales C.S.H.B. No. 4318 |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 8 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 9 | 9 | | relating to a grant program for crime victim notification systems. |
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| 10 | 10 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 11 | 11 | | SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is |
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| 12 | 12 | | amended by adding Section 772.0079 to read as follows: |
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| 13 | 13 | | Sec. 772.0079. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CRIME VICTIM NOTIFICATION |
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| 14 | 14 | | SYSTEMS. (a) In this section: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) "Criminal justice division" means the criminal |
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| 16 | 16 | | justice division established under Section 772.006. |
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| 17 | 17 | | (2) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of the |
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| 18 | 18 | | state or an agency of a political subdivision of the state |
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| 19 | 19 | | authorized by law to employ peace officers. |
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| 20 | 20 | | (3) "Victim" means a person who has suffered personal |
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| 21 | 21 | | injury or death as a result of the criminal conduct of another. |
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| 22 | 22 | | (b) The criminal justice division shall establish and |
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| 23 | 23 | | administer a grant program to provide financial assistance to a law |
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| 24 | 24 | | enforcement agency for purposes of purchasing or developing a crime |
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| 25 | 25 | | victim notification system. |
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| 26 | 26 | | (c) The criminal justice division shall establish: |
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| 27 | 27 | | (1) eligibility criteria for grant applicants; |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2) grant application procedures; |
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| 29 | 29 | | (3) criteria for evaluating grant applications and |
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| 30 | 30 | | awarding grants; |
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| 31 | 31 | | (4) guidelines related to grant amounts; and |
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| 32 | 32 | | (5) procedures for monitoring the use of a grant |
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| 33 | 33 | | awarded under this section and ensuring compliance with any |
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| 34 | 34 | | conditions of the grant. |
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| 35 | 35 | | (d) A crime victim notification system for which a law |
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| 36 | 36 | | enforcement agency seeks a grant under this section must: |
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| 37 | 37 | | (1) automatically, and without the requirement to |
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| 38 | 38 | | download a software application to opt in to notifications, notify |
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| 39 | 39 | | a victim or relative of a deceased victim by e-mail or text message |
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| 40 | 40 | | of all of the following regarding a victim's case: |
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| 41 | 41 | | (A) the date on which the incident report is |
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| 42 | 42 | | created; |
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| 43 | 43 | | (B) the case number; |
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| 44 | 44 | | (C) the names of investigators who are assigned |
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| 45 | 45 | | to the case; |
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| 46 | 46 | | (D) the date: |
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| 47 | 47 | | (i) an arrest is made; |
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| 48 | 48 | | (ii) an affidavit alleging probable cause |
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| 49 | 49 | | is presented to the attorney representing the state; and |
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| 50 | 50 | | (iii) the defendant is arraigned under |
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| 51 | 51 | | Chapter 26, Code of Criminal Procedure; |
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| 52 | 52 | | (E) whether the case has been dismissed by the |
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| 53 | 53 | | attorney representing the state; and |
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| 54 | 54 | | (F) any other information relevant to the case; |
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| 55 | 55 | | (2) interface with the law enforcement agency's system |
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| 56 | 56 | | of records; |
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| 57 | 57 | | (3) provide configurable triggers to directly send |
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| 58 | 58 | | messages; |
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| 59 | 59 | | (4) provide the capability: |
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| 60 | 60 | | (A) to attach informational brochures or other |
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| 61 | 61 | | electronic attachments to the messages; |
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| 62 | 62 | | (B) for a person to check the case status; |
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| 63 | 63 | | (C) to transmit notifications in English or |
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| 64 | 64 | | Spanish; and |
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| 65 | 65 | | (D) to respond to questions via artificial |
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| 66 | 66 | | intelligence; |
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| 67 | 67 | | (5) monitor the number and types of messages sent and |
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| 68 | 68 | | enable a user to visualize that data; and |
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| 69 | 69 | | (6) provide a survey tool so the law enforcement |
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| 70 | 70 | | agency can solicit feedback on victims services. |
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| 71 | 71 | | (e) Information in the crime victim notification system is |
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| 72 | 72 | | confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552. |
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| 73 | 73 | | (f) The criminal justice division may use any available |
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| 74 | 74 | | revenue for purposes of this section. |
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| 75 | 75 | | (g) As a condition of receiving a grant under this section, |
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| 76 | 76 | | a law enforcement agency shall annually report to the criminal |
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| 77 | 77 | | justice division the number and types of notifications sent using |
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| 78 | 78 | | the crime victim notification system. |
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| 79 | 79 | | (h) Not later than December 1 of each year, the criminal |
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| 80 | 80 | | justice division shall compile the information described by |
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| 81 | 81 | | Subsection (g) into a written report provided to the legislature. |
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| 82 | 82 | | SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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