| 1 | 1 | | By: Hinojosa of Hidalgo S.B. No. 1372 |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | |
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| 4 | 4 | | |
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| 5 | 5 | | |
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| 6 | 6 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 7 | 7 | | AN ACT |
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| 8 | 8 | | relating to access to the crime laboratory portal. |
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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. Section 411.164, Government Code, is amended to |
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| 11 | 11 | | read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | Sec. 411.164. DEFENSE COUNSEL ACCESS TO CRIME LABORATORY |
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| 13 | 13 | | PORTAL. In accordance with department rule, the attorney |
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| 14 | 14 | | representing the state in a criminal action shall designate [the |
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| 15 | 15 | | defendant or] the defendant's attorney[, as appropriate,] as an |
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| 16 | 16 | | individual who is authorized to access and use the crime laboratory |
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| 17 | 17 | | portal under Section 411.162 to request any crime laboratory |
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| 18 | 18 | | records that are subject to discovery under Article 39.14, Code of |
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| 19 | 19 | | Criminal Procedure. |
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| 20 | 20 | | SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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| 21 | 21 | | to a criminal proceeding that commences on or after the effective |
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| 22 | 22 | | date of this Act. A criminal proceeding that commences before the |
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| 23 | 23 | | effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the |
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| 24 | 24 | | date the proceeding commenced, and the former law is continued in |
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| 25 | 25 | | effect for that purpose. |
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| 26 | 26 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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