By: Whitmire S.B. No. 2085
(In the Senate - Filed March 9, 2023; March 21, 2023, read
first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice;
April 11, 2023, reported adversely, with favorable Committee
Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 7, Nays 0; April 11, 2023,
sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 2085 By: Hinojosa
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to a grant program for crime victim notification systems.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 772.0079 to read as follows:
Sec. 772.0079. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CRIME VICTIM NOTIFICATION
SYSTEMS. (a) In this section:
(1) "Criminal justice division" means the criminal
justice division established under Section 772.006.
(2) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of the
state or an agency of a political subdivision of the state
authorized by law to employ peace officers.
(3) "Victim" means a person who has suffered personal
injury or death as a result of the criminal conduct of another.
(b) The criminal justice division shall establish and
administer a grant program to provide financial assistance to a law
enforcement agency for purposes of purchasing or developing a crime
victim notification system.
(c) The criminal justice division shall establish:
(1) eligibility criteria for grant applicants;
(2) grant application procedures;
(3) criteria for evaluating grant applications and
awarding grants;
(4) guidelines related to grant amounts; and
(5) procedures for monitoring the use of a grant
awarded under this section and ensuring compliance with any
conditions of the grant.
(d) A crime victim notification system for which a law
enforcement agency seeks a grant under this section must:
(1) automatically, and without the requirement to
download a software application to opt in to notifications, notify
a victim or relative of a deceased victim by e-mail or text message
of all of the following regarding a victim's case:
(A) the date on which the incident report is
created;
(B) the case number;
(C) the names of investigators who are assigned
to the case;
(D) the date:
(i) an arrest is made;
(ii) an affidavit alleging probable cause
is presented to the attorney representing the state; and
(iii) the defendant is arraigned under
Chapter 26, Code of Criminal Procedure;
(E) whether the case has been dismissed by the
attorney representing the state; and
(F) any other information relevant to the case;
(2) interface with the law enforcement agency's system
of records;
(3) provide configurable triggers to directly send
messages;
(4) provide the capability:
(A) to attach informational brochures or other
electronic attachments to the messages;
(B) for a person to check the case status;
(C) to transmit notifications in English or
Spanish; and
(D) to respond to questions via artificial
intelligence;
(5) monitor the number and types of messages sent and
enable a user to visualize that data; and
(6) provide a survey tool so the law enforcement
agency can solicit feedback on victims services.
(e) Information in the crime victim notification system is
confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552.
(f) The criminal justice division may use any available
revenue for purposes of this section.
(g) As a condition of receiving a grant under this section,
a law enforcement agency shall annually report to the criminal
justice division the number and types of notifications sent using
the crime victim notification system.
(h) Not later than December 1 of each year, the criminal
justice division shall compile the information described by
Subsection (g) into a written report provided to the legislature.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023.
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