Bill Text: TX HB1729 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Relating to establishing and funding a grant program for testing evidence collected in relation to sexual assaults or other sex offenses; authorizing voluntary contributions.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-8)
Status: (Passed) 2017-05-29 - Effective on 9/1/17 [HB1729 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB1729-Enrolled.html
H.B. No. 1729 |
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relating to establishing and funding a grant program for testing | ||
evidence collected in relation to sexual assaults or other sex | ||
offenses; authorizing voluntary contributions. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 521, Transportation Code, | ||
is amended by adding Section 521.012 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 521.012. VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION FOR EVIDENCE TESTING | ||
GRANT PROGRAM. (a) When a person applies for an original or | ||
renewal driver's license or personal identification certificate | ||
under this chapter, the person may contribute $1 or more to the | ||
evidence testing grant program established under Section | ||
772.00715, Government Code. | ||
(b) The department shall: | ||
(1) include space on the first page of each | ||
application for an original or renewal driver's license or personal | ||
identification certificate that allows a person applying for an | ||
original or renewal driver's license or personal identification | ||
certificate to indicate the amount that the person is voluntarily | ||
contributing to the grant program; and | ||
(2) provide an opportunity for the person to | ||
contribute to the grant program during the application process for | ||
an original or renewal driver's license or personal identification | ||
certificate on the department's Internet website. | ||
(c) The department shall send any contribution made under | ||
this section to the comptroller for deposit to the credit of the | ||
evidence testing account established under Section 772.00716, | ||
Government Code, not later than the 14th day of each month. Before | ||
sending the money to the comptroller, the department may deduct | ||
money equal to the amount of reasonable expenses for administering | ||
this section. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter C, Chapter 522, Transportation Code, | ||
is amended by adding Section 522.0295 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 522.0295. VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION FOR EVIDENCE TESTING | ||
GRANT PROGRAM. (a) When a person applies for an original or | ||
renewal commercial driver's license under this chapter, the person | ||
may contribute $1 or more to the evidence testing grant program | ||
established under Section 772.00715, Government Code. | ||
(b) The department shall: | ||
(1) include space on the first page of each | ||
application for an original or renewal commercial driver's license | ||
that allows a person applying for an original or renewal commercial | ||
driver's license to indicate the amount that the person is | ||
voluntarily contributing to the grant program; and | ||
(2) provide an opportunity for the person to | ||
contribute to the grant program during the application process for | ||
an original or renewal commercial driver's license on the | ||
department's Internet website. | ||
(c) The department shall send any contribution made under | ||
this section to the comptroller for deposit to the credit of the | ||
evidence testing account established under Section 772.00716, | ||
Government Code, not later than the 14th day of each month. Before | ||
sending the money to the comptroller, the department may deduct | ||
money equal to the amount of reasonable expenses for administering | ||
this section. | ||
SECTION 3. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Sections 772.00715 and 772.00716 to read as | ||
follows: | ||
Sec. 772.00715. EVIDENCE TESTING GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In | ||
this section: | ||
(1) "Accredited crime laboratory" has the meaning | ||
assigned by Section 420.003. | ||
(2) "Criminal justice division" means the criminal | ||
justice division established under Section 772.006. | ||
(3) "Grant program" means the evidence testing grant | ||
program established under this section. | ||
(4) "Law enforcement agency" means: | ||
(A) the police department of a municipality; | ||
(B) the sheriff's office of a county; or | ||
(C) a constable's office of a county. | ||
(b) The criminal justice division shall establish and | ||
administer a grant program and shall disburse funds to assist law | ||
enforcement agencies or counties in testing evidence collected in | ||
relation to a sexual assault or other sex offense. | ||
(c) Grant funds may be used only for the testing by an | ||
accredited crime laboratory of evidence that was collected in | ||
relation to a sexual assault or other sex offense. | ||
(d) The criminal justice division: | ||
(1) may establish additional eligibility criteria for | ||
grant applicants; and | ||
(2) shall establish: | ||
(A) grant application procedures; | ||
(B) guidelines relating to grant amounts; and | ||
(C) criteria for evaluating grant applications. | ||
(e) The criminal justice division shall include in the | ||
biennial report required by Section 772.006(a)(9) detailed | ||
reporting of the results and performance of the grant program. | ||
Sec. 772.00716. EVIDENCE TESTING ACCOUNT. (a) The | ||
evidence testing account is created as a dedicated account in the | ||
general revenue fund of the state treasury. | ||
(b) Money in the account may be appropriated only to the | ||
criminal justice division established under Section 772.006 for | ||
purposes of the evidence testing grant program established under | ||
Section 772.00715. | ||
(c) Funds distributed under Section 772.00715 are subject | ||
to audit by the comptroller. | ||
SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to | ||
a person who applies for an original or renewal driver's license, | ||
commercial driver's license, or personal identification | ||
certificate on or after January 1, 2018. | ||
SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. | ||
______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
I certify that H.B. No. 1729 was passed by the House on April | ||
6, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 142, Nays 0, 1 present, not | ||
voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B. | ||
No. 1729 on May 20, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 127, Nays 5, | ||
2 present, not voting. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||
I certify that H.B. No. 1729 was passed by the Senate, with | ||
amendments, on May 17, 2017, by the following vote: Yeas 29, Nays | ||
1. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Secretary of the Senate | ||
APPROVED: __________________ | ||
Date | ||
__________________ | ||
Governor |