| 1 | | - | By: Huffman, Eckhardt S.B. No. 1620 |
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| 2 | | - | (In the Senate - Filed February 25, 2025; March 10, 2025, |
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| 3 | | - | read first time and referred to Committee on Finance; |
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| 4 | | - | April 7, 2025, reported adversely, with favorable Committee |
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| 5 | | - | Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 15, Nays 0; April 7, 2025, |
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| 6 | | - | sent to printer.) |
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| 7 | | - | Click here to see the committee vote |
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| 8 | | - | COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1620 By: Huffman |
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| 1 | + | 89R15785 AJZ-F |
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| 2 | + | By: Huffman S.B. No. 1620 |
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| 3 | + | |
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| 4 | + | |
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| 9 | 5 | | |
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| 10 | 6 | | |
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| 11 | 7 | | A BILL TO BE ENTITLED |
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| 12 | 8 | | AN ACT |
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| 13 | 9 | | relating to the establishment of the Texas forensic analyst |
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| 14 | 10 | | apprenticeship pilot program. |
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| 15 | 11 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 16 | 12 | | SECTION 1. Chapter 72, Government Code, is amended by |
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| 17 | 13 | | adding Subchapter H to read as follows: |
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| 18 | 14 | | SUBCHAPTER H. TEXAS FORENSIC ANALYST APPRENTICESHIP PILOT PROGRAM |
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| 19 | 15 | | Sec. 72.201. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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| 20 | 16 | | (1) "Accredited crime laboratory" means a crime |
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| 21 | 17 | | laboratory, as that term is defined by Article 38.35, Code of |
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| 22 | 18 | | Criminal Procedure, that has been accredited under Article 38.01 of |
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| 23 | 19 | | that code. |
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| 24 | 20 | | (2) "Commission" means the Texas Forensic Science |
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| 25 | 21 | | Commission. |
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| 26 | 22 | | (3) "Pilot program" means the Texas forensic analyst |
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| 27 | 23 | | apprenticeship pilot program established under this subchapter. |
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| 28 | 24 | | Sec. 72.202. TEXAS FORENSIC ANALYST APPRENTICESHIP PILOT |
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| 29 | 25 | | PROGRAM. (a) The office shall establish the Texas forensic analyst |
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| 30 | 26 | | apprenticeship pilot program to increase the forensic science |
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| 31 | 27 | | workforce capacity in this state. The office shall collaborate with |
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| 32 | 28 | | the commission as necessary to administer the pilot program. |
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| 33 | 29 | | (b) To implement the pilot program, the office shall enter |
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| 34 | 30 | | into contracts with: |
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| 35 | | - | (1) general academic teaching institutions, as |
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| 36 | | - | defined by Section 61.003, Education Code, that provide relevant |
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| 37 | | - | training programs in forensic disciplines; and |
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| 38 | | - | (2) each publicly funded accredited crime laboratory |
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| 31 | + | (1) the Center for Human Identification at the |
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| 32 | + | University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth for |
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| 33 | + | the purpose of creating a unified forensic biology (DNA) training |
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| 34 | + | program; |
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| 35 | + | (2) the Institute for Forensic Research, Training, and |
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| 36 | + | Innovation at Sam Houston State University for the purpose of |
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| 37 | + | creating a unified drug chemistry and toxicology training program; |
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| 38 | + | (3) the Department of Statistics at Texas A&M |
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| 39 | + | University for the purpose of creating a unified firearms |
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| 40 | + | comparison training program; and |
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| 41 | + | (4) each publicly funded accredited crime laboratory |
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| 39 | 42 | | that is awarded an apprentice position by the commission under |
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| 40 | 43 | | Section 72.203. |
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| 41 | 44 | | Sec. 72.203. FORENSIC ANALYST APPRENTICE POSITIONS; RULES. |
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| 42 | 45 | | (a) In consultation with the office, the commission by rule shall |
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| 43 | 46 | | adopt eligibility requirements for: |
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| 44 | 47 | | (1) individuals who may apply for an apprentice |
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| 45 | 48 | | position under the pilot program; and |
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| 46 | 49 | | (2) publicly funded accredited crime laboratories |
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| 47 | 50 | | that may apply to sponsor an apprentice under the pilot program. |
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| 48 | 51 | | (b) In establishing the eligibility requirements under |
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| 49 | 52 | | Subsection (a), the commission shall prioritize the long-term |
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| 50 | 53 | | retention of forensic analysts in accredited crime laboratories in |
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| 51 | 54 | | this state. |
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| 52 | 55 | | (c) The commission shall award apprentice positions to |
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| 53 | 56 | | individuals and accredited crime laboratories that meet the |
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| 54 | 57 | | eligibility requirements established under Subsection (a). The |
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| 55 | 58 | | commission shall enter into contracts with the laboratories |
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| 56 | 59 | | selected to sponsor apprentices under the pilot program. |
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| 57 | | - | (d) The commission shall consult with the Texas Association |
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| 58 | | - | of Crime Lab Directors to determine the current need for forensic |
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| 59 | | - | analyst apprentices in each forensic discipline. |
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| 60 | + | (d) The commission shall: |
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| 61 | + | (1) consult with the Texas Association of Crime Lab |
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| 62 | + | Directors to determine the current need for forensic analyst |
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| 63 | + | apprentices in each forensic discipline; and |
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| 64 | + | (2) in consultation with the office, adopt rules |
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| 65 | + | regarding the required training curricula for the forensic science |
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| 66 | + | training programs described by Sections 72.202(b)(1), (2), and (3). |
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