Bill Text: TX HB4040 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to a pilot program for the establishment of a call center to assist victims of sexual assault.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-04-18 - Left pending in committee [HB4040 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HB4040-Introduced.html
By: Gutierrez | H.B. No. 4040 |
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relating to a pilot program for the establishment of a call center | ||
to assist victims of sexual assault. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 411, Government Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 411.0210 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 411.0210. STATEWIDE CALL CENTER TO ASSIST SEXUAL | ||
ASSAULT VICTIMS. (a) The department shall establish a pilot | ||
program for a statewide call center to assist victims of sexual | ||
assault. | ||
(b) The call center shall maintain a 24-hour statewide | ||
toll-free telephone line operated in English and Spanish and | ||
staffed by trained employees and volunteers. The call center shall | ||
provide information to victims of sexual assault and shall direct | ||
victims to appropriate external resources. Information provided to | ||
victims of sexual assault may include information on crime victim | ||
compensation, forensic examination, and counseling. The call | ||
center shall coordinate with other state and local governmental | ||
entities and organizations in this state to identify resources | ||
available to assist victims of sexual assault. | ||
(c) Information held by the call center that identifies a | ||
victim of sexual assault is not public information for purposes of | ||
Chapter 552, Government Code. | ||
(d) Not later than December 31, 2018, the department shall | ||
submit a report to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of | ||
the house of representatives, and members of the legislature | ||
evaluating pilot program. | ||
(e) Unless this section is continued in effect by the | ||
legislature, this section expires September 1, 2019. | ||
SECTION 2. | ||
This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |