| 1 | 1 | | 89R2991 MCF-D |
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| 2 | 2 | | By: Manuel H.B. No. 1752 |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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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 limitation on public access by livestream or |
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| 10 | 10 | | videoconference to certain criminal proceedings involving |
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| 11 | 11 | | evidence depicting an act of a sexual nature. |
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| 12 | 12 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 13 | 13 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 1, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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| 14 | 14 | | amended by adding Article 1.245 to read as follows: |
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| 15 | 15 | | Art. 1.245. LIMITATION ON PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE LIVESTREAM IN |
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| 16 | 16 | | CERTAIN PROCEEDINGS. A court may not allow public access by |
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| 17 | 17 | | livestream or videoconference to any portion of a proceeding or |
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| 18 | 18 | | trial in which evidence depicting an act of a sexual nature is |
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| 19 | 19 | | presented unless: |
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| 20 | 20 | | (1) the court before the applicable portion of the |
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| 21 | 21 | | proceeding or trial provides notice to the victim or guardian of the |
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| 22 | 22 | | victim, the attorney representing the state, and the defendant that |
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| 23 | 23 | | the evidence will be publicly accessible by livestream or |
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| 24 | 24 | | videoconference; and |
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| 25 | 25 | | (2) the victim or guardian of the victim, the attorney |
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| 26 | 26 | | representing the state, and the defendant each consent to allowing |
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| 27 | 27 | | public access by livestream or videoconference to that portion of |
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| 28 | 28 | | the proceeding or trial. |
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| 29 | 29 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 30 | 30 | | to a criminal proceeding that commences on or after the effective |
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| 31 | 31 | | date of this Act. A criminal proceeding that commenced before the |
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| 32 | 32 | | effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the |
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| 33 | 33 | | date the proceeding commenced, and the former law is continued in |
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| 34 | 34 | | effect for that purpose. |
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| 35 | 35 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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