BILL ANALYSIS Senate Research Center S.B. 1946 89R14217 MZM-F By: Zaffirini Criminal Justice 4/25/2025 As Filed AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT Family violence homicides are a heartbreaking yet preventable tragedy in Texas. Despite efforts at both the legislative and community levels, the number of Texans murdered by an intimate partner has remained alarmingly high since 2020. Each year more than 200 Texansprimarily womenlose their lives to this violence, highlighting the urgent need for stronger prevention and intervention strategies. To address this crisis, S.B. 1946 would establish a two-year, time-limited lethality factor taskforce to develop policy recommendations for Texas' 90th Legislature. This taskforce would be modeled after the Sexual Assault Survivors' Task Force, develop strategies to reduce and prevent family violence homicides, and improve training and service coordination. The task force would bring together key stakeholders including law enforcement, the criminal and civil legal systems, healthcare professionals, family violence centers, and survivors to strengthen collaboration, improve response efforts, and implement evidence-based strategies that save lives. As proposed, S.B. 1946 amends current law relating to the creation of a family violence criminal homicide prevention task force. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, by adding Section 772.0065, as follows: Sec. 772.0065. FAMILY VIOLENCE CRIMINAL HOMICIDE PREVENTION TASK FORCE. (a) Defines "criminal homicide," "family violence," "steering committee," and "task force." (b) Requires the governor to establish the Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force (task force) within the criminal justice division established under Section 772.006 (Governor's Criminal Justice Division). (c) Requires the task force to include a steering committee composed of the following members: the governor or the governor's designee and the chief executive officer of a statewide family violence advocacy organization or the chief executive officer's designee. (d) Provides that the task force is composed of certain members appointed by the steering committee. (e) Provides that an appointed member serves at the pleasure of the steering committee. (f) Requires the governor to designate one member of the task force to serve as the presiding officer. (g) Requires the task force to meet at the call of the presiding officer. (h) Requires the task force to use any available federal or state funding for the purposes of this section. (i) Authorizes the steering committee to 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) Requires the task force to analyze the top risk factors that may lead to family violence criminal homicide, advise and provide resources to state agencies and nonprofit organizations to develop and improve training for professionals who interact with survivors of family violence, collect, analyze, and make publicly available information, organized by region, regarding certain topics, and develop policy recommendations to assist the state in certain efforts. (k) Provides that Chapter 2110 (State Agency Advisory Committees), Government Code, does not apply to the task force. (l) Provides that 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 certain payments. (m) Requires the task force, not later than December 1, 2026, to 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) Provides that the task force is abolished and this section expires January 1, 2028. SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2025.
BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center S.B. 1946
89R14217 MZM-F By: Zaffirini
Criminal Justice
4/25/2025
As Filed
Senate Research Center
S.B. 1946
89R14217 MZM-F
By: Zaffirini
Criminal Justice
4/25/2025
As Filed
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Family violence homicides are a heartbreaking yet preventable tragedy in Texas. Despite efforts at both the legislative and community levels, the number of Texans murdered by an intimate partner has remained alarmingly high since 2020. Each year more than 200 Texansprimarily womenlose their lives to this violence, highlighting the urgent need for stronger prevention and intervention strategies.
To address this crisis, S.B. 1946 would establish a two-year, time-limited lethality factor taskforce to develop policy recommendations for Texas' 90th Legislature. This taskforce would be modeled after the Sexual Assault Survivors' Task Force, develop strategies to reduce and prevent family violence homicides, and improve training and service coordination. The task force would bring together key stakeholders including law enforcement, the criminal and civil legal systems, healthcare professionals, family violence centers, and survivors to strengthen collaboration, improve response efforts, and implement evidence-based strategies that save lives.
As proposed, S.B. 1946 amends current law relating to the creation of a family violence criminal homicide prevention task force.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, by adding Section 772.0065, as follows:
Sec. 772.0065. FAMILY VIOLENCE CRIMINAL HOMICIDE PREVENTION TASK FORCE. (a) Defines "criminal homicide," "family violence," "steering committee," and "task force."
(b) Requires the governor to establish the Family Violence Criminal Homicide Prevention Task Force (task force) within the criminal justice division established under Section 772.006 (Governor's Criminal Justice Division).
(c) Requires the task force to include a steering committee composed of the following members: the governor or the governor's designee and the chief executive officer of a statewide family violence advocacy organization or the chief executive officer's designee.
(d) Provides that the task force is composed of certain members appointed by the steering committee.
(e) Provides that an appointed member serves at the pleasure of the steering committee.
(f) Requires the governor to designate one member of the task force to serve as the presiding officer.
(g) Requires the task force to meet at the call of the presiding officer.
(h) Requires the task force to use any available federal or state funding for the purposes of this section.
(i) Authorizes the steering committee to 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) Requires the task force to analyze the top risk factors that may lead to family violence criminal homicide, advise and provide resources to state agencies and nonprofit organizations to develop and improve training for professionals who interact with survivors of family violence, collect, analyze, and make publicly available information, organized by region, regarding certain topics, and develop policy recommendations to assist the state in certain efforts.
(k) Provides that Chapter 2110 (State Agency Advisory Committees), Government Code, does not apply to the task force.
(l) Provides that 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 certain payments.
(m) Requires the task force, not later than December 1, 2026, to 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) Provides that the task force is abolished and this section expires January 1, 2028.
SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2025.