Bill Text: TX SB1163 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Comm Sub
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.
Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2017-04-10 - Not again placed on intent calendar [SB1163 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SB1163-Comm_Sub.html
| By: Garcia | S.B. No. 1163 | |
| (In the Senate - Filed February 28, 2017; March 9, 2017, | ||
| read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice; | ||
| March 29, 2017, reported adversely, with favorable Committee | ||
| Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 9, Nays 0; March 29, 2017, | ||
| sent to printer.) | ||
| COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1163 | By: Whitmire | |
|
|
||
|
|
||
| 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. | ||
| (f) The criminal justice division may use any revenue | ||
| available to the division to fund 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. | ||
| * * * * * | ||
