89R14217 MZM-F
By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1946
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the creation of a family violence criminal homicide
prevention task force.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is
amended by adding Section 772.0065 to read as follows:
Sec. 772.0065. FAMILY VIOLENCE CRIMINAL HOMICIDE
PREVENTION TASK FORCE. (a) In this section:
(1) "Criminal homicide" means an offense under Chapter
19, Penal Code.
(2) "Family violence" has the meaning assigned by
Section 71.004, Family Code.
(3) "Steering committee" means the steering committee
of the Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force
established by Subsection (c).
(4) "Task force" means the Family Violence Criminal
Homicide Prevention Task Force established by this section.
(b) The governor shall establish the Family Violence
Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force within the criminal justice
division established under Section 772.006.
(c) The task force shall include a steering committee
composed of the following members:
(1) the governor or the governor's designee; and
(2) the chief executive officer of a statewide family
violence advocacy organization or the chief executive officer's
designee.
(d) The task force is composed of the following members
appointed by the steering committee:
(1) four representatives who are employees or
contractors of a family violence center, as defined by Section
51.002, Human Resources Code, from different regions across the
state, representing both rural and urban areas;
(2) two representatives of a statewide family violence
advocacy organization;
(3) one representative from an organization that
operates statewide and provides legal services to victims of family
violence;
(4) one representative from each state agency that has
duties relating to the prevention, investigation, or prosecution of
family violence or that provides services to survivors of family
violence, including:
(A) the office of the attorney general;
(B) the Health and Human Services Commission;
(C) the Office of Court Administration;
(D) the Department of State Health Services; and
(E) the Department of Family and Protective
Services;
(5) one representative from the family violence
program operated by the Health and Human Services Commission;
(6) one representative from the Center for Violence
Prevention at The University of Texas Health Science Center at
Houston;
(7) the president of the Texas District and County
Attorneys Association or the president's designee;
(8) the executive director of the Texas Municipal
Police Association or the executive director's designee;
(9) the executive director of the Texas Commission on
Law Enforcement or the executive director's designee;
(10) one representative of the Texas Violent Death
Reporting System;
(11) one representative from a domestic violence high
risk team described by Section 402.039;
(12) two survivors of family violence; and
(13) additional members as considered appropriate by
the steering committee.
(e) An appointed member serves at the pleasure of the
steering committee.
(f) The governor shall designate one member of the task
force to serve as the presiding officer.
(g) The task force shall meet at the call of the presiding
officer.
(h) The task force shall use any available federal or state
funding for the purposes of this section.
(i) The steering committee may establish one or more working
groups, composed of members of the task force, to focus on specific
issues regarding the prevention, investigation, and prosecution of
family violence criminal homicide.
(j) The task force shall:
(1) analyze the top risk factors that may lead to
family violence criminal homicide;
(2) advise and provide resources to state agencies and
nonprofit organizations to develop and improve training for
professionals who interact with survivors of family violence;
(3) collect, analyze, and make publicly available
information, organized by region, regarding:
(A) the prevention, investigation, and
prosecution of family violence criminal homicide and other family
violence offenses; and
(B) services provided to family violence
survivors, including a list of family violence advocacy
organizations; and
(4) develop policy recommendations to assist the state
in:
(A) effectively coordinating services to family
violence survivors and funding to organizations that provide
services to survivors; and
(B) more effectively preventing, investigating,
and prosecuting incidents of family violence criminal homicide.
(k) Chapter 2110, Government Code, does not apply to the
task force.
(l) A task force member who is not employed by a state agency
or an individual invited by the presiding officer to participate in
a scheduled task force meeting is entitled to:
(1) a per diem in the amount provided by the General
Appropriations Act for each day the member performs duties as a task
force member or the individual attends a task force meeting; and
(2) reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses
incurred in performing duties as a member or participant of the task
force, as applicable.
(m) Not later than December 1, 2026, the task force shall
submit to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the speaker of
the house of representatives a written report containing the task
force's findings and recommendations for legislative or other
action.
(n) The task force is abolished and this section expires
January 1, 2028.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.