Bill Text: TX HB2417 | 2011-2012 | 82nd Legislature | Engrossed
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Relating to the Texas Code of Military Justice.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2011-06-17 - Effective on 9/1/11 [HB2417 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB2417-Engrossed.html
Bill Title: Relating to the Texas Code of Military Justice.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Passed) 2011-06-17 - Effective on 9/1/11 [HB2417 Detail]
Download: Texas-2011-HB2417-Engrossed.html
82R19212 YDB-D | ||
By: Flynn | H.B. No. 2417 |
|
||
|
||
relating to the Texas Code of Military Justice. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 432.001, Government Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 432.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter: | ||
(1) "Accuser" means a person who signs and swears to | ||
charges, who directs that charges nominally be signed and sworn to | ||
by another, or who has an interest other than an official interest | ||
in the prosecution of the accused. | ||
(2) "Active state duty" means duty authorized under | ||
the constitution and laws of the state and all training authorized | ||
under Title 32, United States Code. | ||
(3) "Commanding officer" includes commissioned | ||
officers and warrant officers of the state military forces who | ||
either have been appointed to command by a superior authority or | ||
have lawfully assumed command[ |
||
(4) "Convening authority" includes, in addition to the | ||
person who convened the court, a commissioned officer commanding | ||
temporarily, or a successor in command. | ||
(5) "Day" means a calendar day and is not synonymous | ||
with unit training assembly or any other accounting for training. A | ||
punishment authorized under this chapter that is measured in terms | ||
of days means calendar days. | ||
(6) "Duty" means any presence or performance of any | ||
service with or on behalf of the state military forces. | ||
(7) [ |
||
enlisted grade. | ||
(8) [ |
||
graduated scale of office or military rank, that is established and | ||
designated as a grade by law or regulation. | ||
(9) [ |
||
officer appointed to serve as a judge advocate by the adjutant | ||
general under Section 432.005(b). | ||
(10) [ |
||
officer of the state military forces designated to perform legal | ||
duties for a command. | ||
(11) [ |
||
state military forces. | ||
(12) [ |
||
court of inquiry, military commission, or provost court. | ||
(13) [ |
||
court-martial detailed in accordance with Section 432.045. | ||
(14) [ |
||
officer of the state military forces. | ||
(15) [ |
||
[ |
||
(16) [ |
||
members of the state military forces. | ||
(17) [ |
||
judge advocate general of the state military forces, commissioned | ||
in those forces, and responsible for supervising the administration | ||
of military justice in the state military forces, and performing | ||
other legal duties required by the adjutant general. | ||
(18) [ |
||
National Guard of this state, as defined in Title 32, United States | ||
Code [ |
||
military forces organized under the laws of this state. | ||
(19) [ |
||
commissioned officer superior in rank or command. | ||
SECTION 2. Section 432.002, Government Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 432.002. PERSONS SUBJECT TO CHAPTER. This chapter | ||
applies to all members of the state military forces who are not in | ||
federal service under Title 10, United States Code. | ||
SECTION 3. Subchapters B and C, Chapter 432, Government | ||
Code, are amended to read as follows: | ||
SUBCHAPTER B. APPREHENSION AND RESTRAINT; NONJUDICIAL PUNISHMENT | ||
Sec. 432.008 [ |
||
subchapter, "apprehend" means to take a person into custody. | ||
(b) A person authorized by this chapter or by regulations | ||
issued under it to apprehend a person subject to this chapter, a | ||
marshal of a court-martial appointed under this chapter, and a | ||
peace officer having authority to apprehend offenders under the | ||
laws of the United States or of a state, may do so on reasonable | ||
belief that an offense has been committed and that the person | ||
apprehended committed it. | ||
(c) Commissioned officers, warrant officers, and | ||
noncommissioned officers may quell quarrels, frays, and disorders | ||
among persons subject to this chapter and apprehend persons subject | ||
to this chapter who take part in those activities. | ||
Sec. 432.009 [ |
||
officer or peace officer having authority to apprehend offenders | ||
under the laws of the United States or a state, territory, | ||
commonwealth, or possession, or the District of Columbia, may | ||
summarily apprehend a deserter from the state military forces and | ||
deliver the deserter into the custody of the state military forces. | ||
Sec. 432.010 [ |
||
this subchapter: | ||
(1) "Arrest" means the restraint of a person by an | ||
order, not imposed as a punishment for an offense, directing the | ||
person to remain within certain specified limits. | ||
(2) "Confinement" means the physical restraint of a | ||
person. | ||
(b) An enlisted member may be ordered into arrest or | ||
confinement by a commissioned officer by an oral or written order | ||
delivered in person, through other persons subject to this chapter, | ||
or through a person authorized by this chapter to apprehend | ||
persons. A commanding officer may authorize warrant officers or | ||
noncommissioned officers to order enlisted members of the officer's | ||
[ |
||
arrest or confinement. | ||
(c) A commissioned officer or warrant officer may be ordered | ||
apprehended or into arrest or confinement only by a commanding | ||
officer to whose authority the person [ |
||
written order delivered in person or by another commissioned | ||
officer. The authority to order such persons apprehended or into | ||
arrest or confinement may not be delegated. | ||
(d) A person may not be ordered apprehended or into arrest | ||
or confinement except for probable cause. | ||
(e) This section does not limit the authority of persons | ||
authorized to apprehend offenders to secure the custody of an | ||
alleged offender until the proper authority may be notified. | ||
Sec. 432.011 [ |
||
OFFENSES. A person subject to this chapter charged with an offense | ||
under this chapter shall be ordered into arrest or confinement, as | ||
circumstances may require, but if charged with only an offense | ||
normally tried by a summary court-martial, the person may not | ||
ordinarily be placed in confinement. If a person subject to this | ||
chapter is placed in arrest or confinement before trial, immediate | ||
steps shall be taken to inform the person [ |
||
wrong of which the person [ |
||
[ |
||
person confined other than in a guardhouse, whether before, during, | ||
or after trial by a military court, shall be confined in a civilian | ||
[ |
||
Sec. 432.012 [ |
||
PRISONERS. (a) A provost marshal, commander of a guard, master at | ||
arms, warden, keeper, or officer of a city or county jail or any | ||
other jail designated under Section 432.011 [ |
||
refuse to receive or keep a prisoner committed to the person's [ |
||
charge, when the committing person furnishes a statement, signed by | ||
the committing person [ |
||
prisoner. | ||
(b) A commander of a guard, master at arms, warden, keeper, | ||
or officer of a city or county jail or of any other jail designated | ||
under Section 432.011 [ |
||
committed shall, within 24 hours after that commitment or as soon as | ||
the person [ |
||
officer of the prisoner the name of the prisoner, the offense | ||
charged against the prisoner [ |
||
ordered or authorized the commitment. | ||
Sec. 432.013 [ |
||
TRIAL. Subject to Section 432.093, a person, while being held for | ||
trial or the result of trial, may not be subjected to punishment or | ||
penalty other than arrest or confinement on the charges pending | ||
against the person, nor may the arrest or confinement imposed on the | ||
person be more rigorous than the circumstances require to ensure | ||
the person's presence, but the person may be subjected to minor | ||
punishment during that period for infractions of discipline. | ||
Sec. 432.014 [ |
||
AUTHORITIES. (a) Under regulations prescribed under this chapter | ||
a person subject to this chapter who is on active state duty and who | ||
is accused of an offense against civil authority may be delivered, | ||
on request, to the civil authority for trial. | ||
(b) If delivery under this section is made to a civil | ||
authority of a person undergoing sentence of a court-martial, the | ||
delivery, if followed by conviction in a civil tribunal, interrupts | ||
the execution of the sentence of the court-martial, and the | ||
offender, after having answered to the civil authorities for the | ||
offense, on the request of competent military authority, shall be | ||
returned to military custody for the completion of the sentence. | ||
[ |
||
Sec. 432.015 [ |
||
PUNISHMENT. (a) Under regulations as [ |
||
prescribed, any commanding officer may impose disciplinary | ||
punishments for minor offenses without the intervention of a | ||
court-martial in accordance with this subchapter. There is no | ||
right to trial by court-martial in lieu of nonjudicial punishment | ||
imposed under this section. Only the governor, the adjutant | ||
general, or an officer of a general or flag rank in command may | ||
delegate the powers under this section to a principal assistant who | ||
is a member of the state military forces. | ||
(b) Any accused person who is facing discipline under this | ||
section [ |
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
represented by defense counsel having the qualifications | ||
prescribed under Section 432.046(b), if such a counsel is | ||
reasonably available. Otherwise, the accused shall be afforded the | ||
opportunity to be represented by any available commissioned officer | ||
of the accused's [ |
||
by [ |
||
expense to the state. In all proceedings, the accused is allowed | ||
three duty days, or longer on written justification, to reply to the | ||
notification of intent to impose punishment under this section. | ||
(c) Any [ |
||
officer may[ |
||
impose on enlisted members in the officer's [ |
||
|
||
|
||
[ |
||
(1) a reprimand; | ||
(2) [ |
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
that is [ |
||
(3) a reduction to the next inferior pay grade. | ||
(d) Any [ |
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
[ |
||
[ |
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
above may impose on enlisted members in the officer's command: | ||
(1) a reprimand; | ||
(2) [ |
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
[ |
||
[ |
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
that is [ |
||
(3) a [ |
||
intermediate pay grade, [ |
||
|
||
|
||
enlisted member in a pay grade above E-4 may not be reduced more | ||
than two pay grades[ |
||
[ |
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
(e) The governor, the adjutant general, an officer | ||
exercising general court-martial convening authority, or an | ||
officer of a general or flag rank in command may impose: | ||
(1) on officers in the officer's command: | ||
(A) a reprimand; and | ||
(B) a fine equal to an amount that is not more | ||
than one month's pay; and | ||
(2) on enlisted members in the officer's command, any | ||
punishment authorized under Subsection (d). | ||
(f) The officer who imposes the punishment authorized in | ||
this section [ |
||
command may at any time suspend, set aside, reduce, or remit | ||
[ |
||
[ |
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
property affected. The [ |
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
than the punishment mitigated. When [ |
||
|
||
|
||
reduction in grade to a fine, [ |
||
amount of the fine[ |
||
than the amount that could have been imposed initially under this | ||
section by the officer who imposed the punishment mitigated. | ||
(g) [ |
||
considers the punishment unjust or disproportionate to the offense | ||
may, through the proper channel, appeal to the next superior | ||
authority not later than the 15th day after the date the punishment | ||
is either announced or sent to the accused, as the commanding | ||
officer determines [ |
||
be promptly forwarded and decided, but the person punished may in | ||
the meantime be required to undergo the punishment adjudged. The | ||
superior authority may exercise the same powers with respect to the | ||
punishment imposed as may be exercised under Subsection (f) [ |
||
by the officer who imposed the punishment. Before acting on an | ||
appeal from a punishment [ |
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
[ |
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
(h) [ |
||
punishment under this section for any [ |
||
bar to trial by court-martial or a civilian court of competent | ||
jurisdiction for a serious crime or offense growing out of the same | ||
act or omission and not properly punishable under this section, but | ||
the fact that a disciplinary punishment has been enforced may be | ||
shown by the accused on trial and, when shown, shall be considered | ||
in determining the measure of punishment to be adjudged in the event | ||
of a finding of guilty. | ||
(i) Regulations [ |
||
prescribe the form of records to be kept of proceedings under this | ||
section and [ |
||
proceedings shall be in writing. | ||
[ |
||
|
||
|
||
SECTION 4. Section 432.031, Government Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 432.031. COURTS-MARTIAL CLASSIFIED. The three kinds | ||
of courts-martial in each of the state military forces are: | ||
(1) general court-martial, consisting of: | ||
(A) a military judge and not fewer than five | ||
members; or | ||
(B) only a military judge, if before the court is | ||
assembled the accused, knowing the identity of the military judge | ||
and after consultation with defense counsel, requests in writing a | ||
court composed only of a military judge and the military judge | ||
approves; | ||
(2) special court-martial, consisting of: | ||
(A) [ |
||
[ |
||
members; or | ||
(B) [ |
||
detailed to the court, and the accused under the same conditions as | ||
those prescribed in Subdivision (1)(B) requests; and | ||
(3) summary court-martial, consisting of one officer, | ||
who must be a military judge or an attorney licensed to practice law | ||
in this state. | ||
SECTION 5. Section 432.032, Government Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 432.032. JURISDICTION OF COURT-MARTIAL IN GENERAL. | ||
Each force of the state military forces has court-martial | ||
jurisdiction over a member of the force who is subject to this | ||
chapter. The Texas Army National Guard and the Texas Air National | ||
Guard have court-martial jurisdiction over all enlisted members | ||
[ |
||
jurisdiction by one force over personnel of another force shall be | ||
in accordance with regulations prescribed by the governor. | ||
SECTION 6. Section 432.033(a), Government Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(a) Subject to Section 432.032, a general court-martial has | ||
jurisdiction to try a person subject to this chapter for any offense | ||
made punishable by this chapter and may, under limitations the | ||
governor prescribes, adjudge any of the following punishments: | ||
(1) reprimand; | ||
(2) forfeiture of pay and allowances; | ||
(3) a fine of not more than $10,000; | ||
(4) reduction of any enlisted member to any lower | ||
rank; | ||
(5) [ |
||
years; | ||
(6) [ |
||
[ |
||
[ |
||
[ |
||
discharge[ |
||
[ |
||
|
||
(7) [ |
||
SECTION 7. Section 432.034, Government Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 432.034. JURISDICTION OF SPECIAL COURT-MARTIAL. (a) | ||
Subject to Section 432.032, a special court-martial has | ||
jurisdiction to try a person subject to this chapter, except a | ||
commissioned officer, for any offense [ |
||
|
||
powers of punishment as a general court-martial, except that a | ||
special court-martial may not impose more than a $4,000 [ |
||
and [ |
||
single offense. | ||
(b) A dismissal or bad conduct [ |
||
not be adjudged unless a complete record of the proceedings and | ||
testimony is made, counsel having the qualifications prescribed | ||
under Section 432.046(b) is detailed to represent the accused, and | ||
a military judge is detailed to the trial, except in a case in which | ||
a military judge cannot be detailed to the trial because of physical | ||
conditions or military exigencies. In a case in which a military | ||
judge is not detailed to the trial, the convening authority shall | ||
make a detailed written statement, to be appended to the record, | ||
stating the reason a military judge could not be detailed. | ||
SECTION 8. Sections 432.035(a) and (c), Government Code, | ||
are amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) Subject to Section 432.032, a summary court-martial has | ||
jurisdiction to try persons subject to this chapter, except | ||
officers, for any offense under [ |
||
(c) A summary court-martial may sentence a person to pay a | ||
fine of not more than $1,000 and [ |
||
than 90 days for a single offense, to forfeit [ |
||
and allowances, and to reduction of a noncommissioned officer to | ||
any lower rank [ |
||
SECTION 9. Section 432.042, Government Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 432.042. WHO MAY CONVENE SPECIAL COURT-MARTIAL. In | ||
the state military forces not in federal service, any commander in | ||
the grade of O-5 [ |
||
convene a special court-martial. | ||
SECTION 10. Section 432.043, Government Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 432.043. WHO MAY CONVENE SUMMARY COURT-MARTIAL. In | ||
the state military forces not in federal service, any commander in | ||
the grade of O-4 [ |
||
summary court-martial. | ||
SECTION 11. Sections 432.044(a), (c), and (d), Government | ||
Code, are amended to read as follows: | ||
(a) Any [ |
||
eligible to serve on a court-martial [ |
||
|
||
(c) An enlisted member of the state military forces in a | ||
duty status who is not a member of the same unit as the accused is | ||
eligible to serve on general and special courts-martial for the | ||
trial of an enlisted member of the state military forces who may | ||
lawfully be brought before the court for trial if, before the | ||
conclusion of a session called by the military judge under Section | ||
432.064(a) before trial or, in the absence of such a session, before | ||
the court is assembled for the trial of the accused, the accused | ||
personally has requested in writing that enlisted members serve on | ||
it. After such a request, the accused may not be tried by a general | ||
or special court-martial the membership of which does not include | ||
enlisted members in a number comprising at least one-third of the | ||
total membership of the court, unless eligible members cannot be | ||
obtained because of physical conditions or military exigencies. If | ||
a sufficient number of enlisted members cannot be obtained, the | ||
court may be convened and the trial held without them, but the | ||
convening authority shall make a detailed written statement, to be | ||
appended to the record, stating why they could not be obtained. In | ||
this subsection, "unit" means a regularly organized body of the | ||
state military forces not larger than a company, squadron, division | ||
of the naval militia, or body corresponding to a company, squadron, | ||
or division. | ||
(d) When [ |
||
chapter may not be tried by a court-martial[ |
||
member is junior to the accused [ |
||
convening a court-martial, the convening authority shall detail as | ||
members of the court-martial members of the state military forces | ||
that, in the convening authority's [ |
||
qualified for the duty because of age, education, training, | ||
experience, length of service, and judicial temperament. A member | ||
of the state military forces is not eligible to serve as a member of | ||
a general or special court-martial if the member is the accuser, is | ||
[ |
||
officer or counsel in the same case. | ||
SECTION 12. Section 432.045(d), Government Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(d) A person who is the accuser, is [ |
||
|
||
case is not eligible to act as military judge in the same case. | ||
SECTION 13. Section 432.046, Government Code, is amended by | ||
adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows: | ||
(b-1) Trial counsel or defense counsel detailed for a | ||
general court-martial may not be under the supervision or command | ||
of the other counsel unless the accused and the prosecution | ||
expressly waive this restriction. | ||
SECTION 14. Section 432.062(d), Government Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(d) In the preparation of an effectiveness, fitness, or | ||
efficiency report, or another report or document used in whole or | ||
part for determining whether a member of the state military forces | ||
is qualified to be advanced in grade, in determining the assignment | ||
or transfer of a member of the state military forces, or in | ||
determining whether a member of the state military forces should be | ||
retained on duty, a person subject to this chapter may not: | ||
(1) consider or evaluate the performance of duty of | ||
the member as a member of a court-martial or a witness in a | ||
court-martial; or | ||
(2) give a less favorable rating or evaluation of a | ||
member of the state military forces because of the zeal with which | ||
the member, as counsel, represented an accused before a | ||
court-martial. | ||
SECTION 15. Subchapter J, Chapter 432, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 432.1225 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 432.1225. PENAL CODE OFFENSES. A person subject to | ||
this chapter who commits an offense under the Penal Code is | ||
considered to violate this chapter and is subject to punishment | ||
under this chapter. | ||
SECTION 16. Section 432.183, Government Code, is amended to | ||
read as follows: | ||
Sec. 432.183. CHAPTER [ |
||
chapter [ |
||
|
||
|
||
to every enlisted member at the time of or not later than the 30th | ||
day after the date of the member's [ |
||
induction into, or the member's [ |
||
of the state military forces. It [ |
||
annually to each unit of the state military forces. A complete text | ||
of this chapter and of the regulations prescribed by the governor | ||
under this chapter shall be made available to any member of the | ||
state military forces, on the member's [ |
||
member's [ |
||
SECTION 17. Section 432.190(b), Government Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
(b) A fine or forfeiture imposed by nonjudicial punishment | ||
or a special or summary court-martial shall be paid to the officer | ||
imposing nonjudicial punishment or ordering the court or to the | ||
officer commanding at that time. The officer, not later than the | ||
fifth day after the date of the payment's receipt, shall place it to | ||
the credit of the military unit fund of the unit of which the person | ||
fined was a member when the fine was imposed. | ||
SECTION 18. The change in law made by this Act applies only | ||
to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. | ||
For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before the | ||
effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs | ||
before the effective date. An offense committed before the | ||
effective date of this Act is covered by the law in effect when the | ||
offense was committed, and the former law is continued in effect for | ||
that purpose. | ||
SECTION 19. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |