1-1 By: Brown S.B. No. 39 1-2 (In the Senate - Filed November 14, 1994; January 10, 1995, 1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice; 1-4 April 7, 1995, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 6, 1-5 Nays 0; April 7, 1995, sent to printer.) 1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1-7 AN ACT 1-8 relating to the making of a statement to a court and to the 1-9 defendant by a victim of a criminal offense or the victim's 1-10 relative or guardian. 1-11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-12 SECTION 1. Subsection (b), Section 1, Article 42.03, Code of 1-13 Criminal Procedure, is amended to read as follows: 1-14 (b) The court shall permit a victim, close relative of a 1-15 deceased victim, or guardian of a victim, as defined by Article 1-16 56.01 of this code, to appear in person to present to the court and 1-17 to the defendant a statement of the person's views about the 1-18 offense, the defendant, and the effect of the offense on the 1-19 victim. The victim, relative, or guardian may not direct questions 1-20 to the defendant while making the statement. The court reporter 1-21 may not transcribe the statement. The statement must be made: 1-22 (1) after punishment has been assessed and the court 1-23 has determined whether or not to grant community supervision in the 1-24 case; 1-25 (2) after the court has announced the terms and 1-26 conditions of the sentence; and 1-27 (3) after sentence is pronounced. 1-28 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1995. 1-29 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 1-30 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 1-31 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 1-32 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 1-33 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended. 1-34 * * * * *