| 1 | 1 | | By: Menéndez S.B. No. 2941 |
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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 special needs training for judges. |
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| 9 | 9 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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| 10 | 10 | | SECTION 22.110, Government Code, is amended by adding |
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| 11 | 11 | | Subsection (b) to read as follows: |
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| 12 | 12 | | (b) The court of criminal appeals shall adopt the rules |
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| 13 | 13 | | necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section. The rules |
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| 14 | 14 | | must require: |
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| 15 | 15 | | (1) each district judge, judge of a statutory county court, |
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| 16 | 16 | | associate judge appointed under Chapter 54A of this code or Chapter |
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| 17 | 17 | | 201, Family Code, master, referee, and magistrate within the |
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| 18 | 18 | | judge's first term of office or the judicial officer's first four |
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| 19 | 19 | | years of service to complete and provide certification of |
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| 20 | 20 | | completion of 12 hours of training that include at least: |
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| 21 | 21 | | (A) four hours dedicated to issues related to |
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| 22 | 22 | | trafficking of persons and child abuse and neglect that cover |
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| 23 | 23 | | at least two of the topics described in Subsections |
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| 24 | 24 | | (d)(8)-(12)(14); |
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| 25 | 25 | | (B) six hours dedicated to the training described by |
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| 26 | 26 | | Subsections (d)(5), (6), and (7); and |
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| 27 | 27 | | (C) one hour dedicated to the training described by |
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| 28 | 28 | | Subsection (d)(13); |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2) each judge and judicial officer during each additional |
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| 30 | 30 | | term in office or four years of service to complete and provide |
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| 31 | 31 | | certification of completion of an additional five hours of training |
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| 32 | 32 | | that include at least: |
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| 33 | 33 | | (A) two hours dedicated to the training described by |
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| 34 | 34 | | Subsections (d)(11) and (12); and |
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| 35 | 35 | | (B) one hour dedicated to the training described by |
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| 36 | 36 | | Subsection (d)(13); and |
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| 37 | 37 | | (3) each judge of a court with primary responsibility for |
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| 38 | 38 | | family law or family violence matters to complete and provide |
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| 39 | 39 | | certification of completion of an additional hour of training |
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| 40 | 40 | | described by Subsection (d)(13) every two years. |
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| 41 | 41 | | (c) In adopting the rules, the court of criminal appeals may |
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| 42 | 42 | | consult with the supreme court and with professional groups and |
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| 43 | 43 | | associations in the state that have expertise in the subject matter |
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| 44 | 44 | | to obtain the recommendations of those groups or associations for |
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| 45 | 45 | | instruction content. |
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| 46 | 46 | | (d) The instruction must include information about: |
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| 47 | 47 | | (1) statutory and case law relating to videotaping a child's |
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| 48 | 48 | | testimony and relating to competency of children to testify; |
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| 49 | 49 | | (2) methods for eliminating the trauma to the child caused |
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| 50 | 50 | | by the court process; |
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| 51 | 51 | | (3) case law, statutory law, and procedural rules relating |
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| 52 | 52 | | to family violence, sexual assault, trafficking of persons, and |
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| 53 | 53 | | child abuse and neglect; |
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| 54 | 54 | | (4) methods for providing protection for victims of family |
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| 55 | 55 | | violence, sexual assault, trafficking of persons, and child abuse |
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| 56 | 56 | | and neglect; |
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| 57 | 57 | | (5) available community and state resources for counseling |
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| 58 | 58 | | and other aid to victims and to offenders; |
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| 59 | 59 | | (6) gender bias in the judicial process; |
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| 60 | 60 | | (7) dynamics and effects of being a victim of sexual |
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| 61 | 61 | | assault, trafficking of persons, or child abuse and neglect; |
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| 62 | 62 | | (8) dynamics of sexual abuse of children, including child |
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| 63 | 63 | | abuse accommodation syndrome and grooming; |
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| 64 | 64 | | (9) impact of substance abuse on an unborn child and on a |
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| 65 | 65 | | person's ability to care for a child; |
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| 66 | 66 | | (10) issues of attachment and bonding between children and |
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| 67 | 67 | | caregivers; |
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| 68 | 68 | | (11) issues of child development that pertain to |
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| 69 | 69 | | trafficking of persons and child abuse and neglect; and |
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| 70 | 70 | | (12) medical findings regarding physical abuse, sexual |
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| 71 | 71 | | abuse, trafficking of persons, and child abuse and neglect; |
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| 72 | 72 | | (13) dynamics of family violence.; and |
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| 73 | 73 | | (14) specíal needs. |
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| 74 | 74 | | SECTION 2.(a) As soon as practicable after the effective date |
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| 75 | 75 | | of this Act, the Texas Supreme Court shall adopt the rules necessary |
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| 76 | 76 | | to implement Section 22.110, Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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| 77 | 77 | | (b) The changes in law made by Section 22.110, Government |
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| 78 | 78 | | Code, as added by this Act, apply to all judges elected, appointed, |
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| 79 | 79 | | or holding office on or after the effective date of this Act. |
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| 80 | 80 | | SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025. |
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