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House Bill 8 |
House Author: Neave et al. |
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Effective: 9-1-19 |
Senate Sponsor: Nelson et al. |
House Bill 8, the Lavinia Masters Act, amends the Code of Criminal Procedure, Government Code, and Health and Safety Code to extend the statute of limitations for certain sex offenses and require an audit of untested rape kits across Texas. Among other provisions, the bill expands the applicability of provisions of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Crisis Services Act relating to the analysis of sexual assault evidence and the chain of custody of that evidence to include sex offenses other than sexual assault and establishes the statewide telehealth center for sexual assault forensic medical examination to expand access to sexual assault nurse examiners for underserved populations. Implementation of a provision of the bill by the Department of Public Safety or the Department of State Health Services, as applicable, is mandatory only if a specific appropriation is made for that purpose.