By:  Shapiro, Sims                                      S.B. No. 47
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
                                        AN ACT
    1-1  relating to notification of certain persons about procedures in the
    1-2  community supervision process that apply to defendants who
    1-3  victimized those persons.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Article 42.131, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
    1-6  amended by adding Section 14 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 14.  VICTIM NOTIFICATION.  (a)  A department, using the
    1-8  name and address provided by the attorney representing the state
    1-9  under Article 56.08(d) of this code, shall make a reasonable effort
   1-10  to notify a victim of the defendant's crime or, if the victim has a
   1-11  guardian or is deceased, to notify the guardian of the victim or
   1-12  close relative of the deceased victim of:
   1-13              (1)  the fact that the defendant has been placed on
   1-14  community supervision;
   1-15              (2)  the conditions of community supervision imposed on
   1-16  the defendant by the court; and
   1-17              (3)  the date, time, and location of any hearing or
   1-18  proceeding at which the conditions of the defendant's community
   1-19  supervision may be modified or the defendant's placement on
   1-20  community supervision may be revoked or terminated.
   1-21        (b)  An attempt by the department to give notice to the
   1-22  victim, the guardian of the victim, or a close relative of a
   1-23  deceased victim at the victim's, the guardian of the victim's, or a
   1-24  close relative of a deceased victim's last known telephone number
    2-1  or address as shown on the records of the department constitutes a
    2-2  reasonable attempt to give notice under this section.
    2-3        (c)  In this section, "close relative of a deceased victim,"
    2-4  "guardian of a victim," and "victim" have the meanings assigned by
    2-5  Article 56.01 of this code.
    2-6        SECTION 2.  Article 56.08, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
    2-7  amended by adding Subsection (d) to read as follows:
    2-8        (d)  An attorney representing the state who receives
    2-9  information concerning a victim's current address and phone number
   2-10  shall immediately provide that information to the community
   2-11  supervision and corrections department supervising the defendant,
   2-12  if the defendant is placed on community supervision.
   2-13        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-14        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-15  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-16  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-17  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-18  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.