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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to restitution payments made to certain victims of theft. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 42.037, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended by adding Subsection (d-1) to read as follows: |
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(d-1) Notwithstanding any other law, if the court orders |
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restitution under this article to be made to a victim of an offense |
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under Section 31.03, Penal Code, and the court determines that the |
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defendant committed the offense solely as a victim of an offense |
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under Section 20A.02 or 20A.03, Penal Code, the court shall order |
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the restitution to be paid from the compensation to victims of crime |
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fund established under Subchapter J, Chapter 56B. The court may not |
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order the defendant to make restitution to the victim or to |
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reimburse the compensation to victims of crime fund for any amount |
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paid under this subsection. |
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SECTION 2. Article 56B.453, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: |
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(e) The attorney general shall use the fund to pay |
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court-ordered restitution as required by Article 42.037(d-1) to a |
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victim of an offense under Section 31.03, Penal Code, if the |
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defendant committed the offense solely as a victim of an offense |
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under Section 20A.02 or 20A.03, Penal Code. |
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SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this |
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Act. An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is |
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governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, |
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and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For |
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purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the |
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effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred |
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before that date. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |