By:  Shapiro, Sims                                      S.B. No. 46
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to requiring victim notification when an inmate escapes
    1-2  from a facility operated by the institutional division of the Texas
    1-3  Department of Criminal Justice.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter A, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal
    1-6  Procedure, is amended by adding Article 56.12 to read as follows:
    1-7        Art. 56.12.  NOTIFICATION OF ESCAPE.  (a)  The Texas
    1-8  Department of Criminal Justice shall immediately make a reasonable
    1-9  attempt to notify the victim of an offense, the victim's guardian,
   1-10  or the victim's close relative, if the victim is deceased, whenever
   1-11  the offender escapes from a facility operated by the institutional
   1-12  division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, if the
   1-13  victim, victim's guardian, or victim's close relative has notified
   1-14  the institutional division as provided by Subsection (b) of this
   1-15  article.  An attempt by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to
   1-16  give notice to the victim, the guardian of the victim, or a close
   1-17  relative of a deceased victim at the victim's, the guardian of the
   1-18  victim's, or a close relative of a deceased victim's last known
   1-19  telephone number or address as shown on the records of the
   1-20  department constitutes a reasonable attempt to give notice under
   1-21  this subsection.
   1-22        (b)  It is the responsibility of the victim, guardian, or
   1-23  close relative desiring notification of an offender's escape to
   1-24  notify the Texas Department of Criminal Justice of the desire for
    2-1  notification and any change of address.
    2-2        SECTION 2.  The importance of this legislation and the
    2-3  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
    2-4  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
    2-5  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
    2-6  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
    2-7  and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
    2-8  passage, and it is so enacted.