BILL ANALYSIS


                                                     C.S.S.B. 224
                                                    By: Zaffirini
                                                 Criminal Justice
                                                           5-1-95
                                   Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND

Medical professionals are in a position to report domestic violence
and in some cases, are the first with the ability to report the
crime.

PURPOSE

As proposed, C.S.S.B. 224 requires certain persons to report
domestic violence and provides legal protection for persons who
report such violence.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not grant any
additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or
agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Amends Title 4, Family Code, by adding Chapter 73, as
follows:

              CHAPTER 73.  REPORTING FAMILY VIOLENCE

     Sec. 73.01.  DEFINITIONS.  Defines "family violence" and
     "medical professional."
     
     Sec. 73.02.  REPORTING BY WITNESSES ENCOURAGED.  Provides that
     a person who witnesses family violence is encouraged to report
     the family violence to a local law enforcement agency.
     
     Sec. 73.03.  INFORMATION PROVIDED BY MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. 
     Requires a medical professional who treats a person for
     injuries that the medical professional has reason to believe
     were caused by family violence to immediately provide the
     person with information regarding the nearest family violence
     shelter-center; and document in the person's medical file
     certain information.  Sets forth the form of the written
     notice the medical professional is required to give the
     person, which is to be in both English and Spanish.
     
     Sec. 73.04.  IMMUNITY.  (a)  Grants immunity from civil or
     criminal liability to a person who reports family violence or
     provides information under Section 73.03.
     
     (b)  Provides that a person who reports the person's own
       conduct or reports family violence in bad faith is not
       protected from liability.
       
     Sec. 73.05.  APPLICATION OF CHAPTER.  Provides that this
     chapter does not affect a duty to report child abuse under
     Chapter 34.
     
SECTION 2.  Effective date: September 1, 1995.

SECTION 3.  Emergency clause.