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By: Longoria (Senate Sponsor - Hinojosa) |
H.B. No. 541 |
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(In the Senate - Received from the House May 1, 2023; |
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May 1, 2023, read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal |
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Justice; May 11, 2023, reported favorably by the following vote: |
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Yeas 6, Nays 0; May 11, 2023, sent to printer.) |
| Click here to see the committee vote |
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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to donations to certain local charities or veterans county |
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service offices ordered to be paid as a condition of community |
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supervision. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 42A.304(f), Code of Criminal Procedure, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(f) Instead of requiring the defendant to work a specified |
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number of hours at one or more community service projects under |
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Subsection (a), the judge may order a defendant to make a specified |
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donation to: |
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(1) a nonprofit food bank or food pantry in the |
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community in which the defendant resides; |
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(2) a charitable organization engaged primarily in |
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performing charitable functions [for veterans] in the community in |
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which the defendant resides for defendants under community |
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supervision or for veterans; |
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(3) a veterans county service office created under |
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Subchapter B, Chapter 434, Government Code, and operating in the |
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county in which the defendant resides; or |
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(4) [(3)] in a county with a population of less than |
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50,000, another nonprofit organization that: |
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(A) is exempt from taxation under Section 501(a) |
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of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 because it is listed in Section |
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501(c)(3) of that code; and |
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(B) provides services or assistance to needy |
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individuals and families in the community in which the defendant |
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resides. |
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SECTION 2. Section 434.032(c), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(c) The commissioners court of a county that maintains an |
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office: |
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(1) may not consider donations made [a juror's |
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donation] to the office [of the juror's daily reimbursement] under |
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Article 42A.304(f), Code of Criminal Procedure, or Section 61.003 |
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for purposes of determining the county's budget for the office; and |
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(2) may use donations described by Subdivision (1) |
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only to supplement, rather than supplant, amounts budgeted by the |
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county for the office. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |
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