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Senate Bill 1940 |
Senate Author: Van de Putte et al. |
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Effective: 6-19-09 |
House Sponsor: Ortiz, Jr. |
Senate Bill 1940 amends the Government Code and Transportation Code to expand the sources of revenue for the veterans' assistance fund to include voluntary contributions made by a person registering a motor vehicle and by a state employee through the state employee charitable campaign.
Senate Bill 1940 amends the Health and Safety Code to establish a pretrial veterans court program for a defendant in certain criminal cases who is a veteran or current member of the United States armed forces suffering from an injury or illness that resulted from the defendant's military service in a combat zone or hazardous area that materially affected the defendant's criminal conduct at issue in the case. The bill sets forth provisions outlining the essential characteristics of the program and the procedure by which proof of a defendant's eligibility in the program may be submitted to the court. The bill also sets forth provisions regarding the duties of the program, the establishment of a regional program in two or more counties, legislative oversight of the program, and the collection and payment of fees. The bill amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to make a conforming change.