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House Bill 34 |
House Author: Smithee et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-17 |
Senate Sponsor: Perry |
House Bill 34 amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to establish requirements for an attorney representing the state relating to tracking the use of testimony of a person to whom a defendant made a certain statement while the person was imprisoned or confined in the same correctional facility as the defendant and any related benefits offered or provided to a person in exchange for that testimony. The bill provides for the admission of evidence of a prior offense committed by a person providing such testimony for the purpose of impeachment and requires the state to disclose information relevant to such a person's credibility if the state intends to use that testimony at a defendant's trial. The bill establishes requirements for a law enforcement agency relating to the electronic recording of certain custodial interrogations that occur in a place of detention and provides for the admissibility in a criminal proceeding of a statement made as a result of such an interrogation. The bill requires the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement to establish an education and training program on eyewitness identification to be completed by each peace officer who performs eyewitness identification procedures, revises requirements relating to photograph and live lineup identification procedures, and provides for the admissibility of an in-court identification of an accused under limited circumstances.
House Bill 34 requires the Texas Forensic Science Commission to conduct a study regarding the use of drug field test kits and a study regarding the manner in which crime scene investigations are conducted.