S.B. No. 80
AN ACT
1-1 relating to requiring training in issues concerning sex offender
1-2 characteristics for certain judicial and law enforcement
1-3 professionals.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subsections (a) and (d), Section 22.011,
1-6 Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
1-7 (a) The supreme court shall provide judicial training
1-8 related to the problems of family violence, sexual assault, and
1-9 child abuse and to issues concerning sex offender characteristics.
1-10 (d) The instruction must include information about:
1-11 (1) statutory and case law relating to videotaping a
1-12 child's testimony and relating to competency of children to
1-13 testify;
1-14 (2) methods for eliminating the trauma to the child
1-15 caused by the court process;
1-16 (3) case law, statutory law, and procedural rules
1-17 relating to family violence, sexual assault, and child abuse;
1-18 (4) methods for providing protection for victims of
1-19 family violence, sexual assault, or child abuse;
1-20 (5) available community and state resources for
1-21 counseling and other aid to victims and to offenders;
1-22 (6) gender bias in the judicial process; <and>
1-23 (7) dynamics and effects of being a victim of family
1-24 violence, sexual assault, or child abuse; and
2-1 (8) issues concerning sex offender characteristics.
2-2 SECTION 2. Subsection (b), Section 415.032, Government Code,
2-3 is amended to read as follows:
2-4 (b) In establishing requirements under this section, the
2-5 commission shall require courses and programs to provide training
2-6 in:
2-7 (1) the investigation of cases that involve the
2-8 following:
2-9 (A) <(1)> child abuse;
2-10 (B) <(2)> child neglect;
2-11 (C) <(3)> family violence; and
2-12 (D) <(4)> sexual assault; and
2-13 (2) issues concerning sex offender characteristics.
2-14 SECTION 3. Subsections (b) and (c), Section 415.034,
2-15 Government Code, are amended to read as follows:
2-16 (b) The commission shall require a state, county, special
2-17 district, or municipal agency that appoints or employs peace
2-18 officers to provide each peace officer with a training program
2-19 every 24 months. The course may not exceed 40 hours. Not less
2-20 than 20 hours of the instruction must be on topics selected by the
2-21 agency.
2-22 (c) The course provided under Subsection (b) must:
2-23 (1) be approved by the commission; <and>
2-24 (2) include education and training in:
2-25 (A) civil rights, racial sensitivity, and
2-26 cultural diversity; and
2-27 (B) unless determined by the agency head to be
3-1 inconsistent with the officer's assigned duties:
3-2 (i) the recognition of cases that involve
3-3 <the following:>
3-4 <(i)> child abuse,<;>
3-5 <(ii)> child neglect,<;>
3-6 <(iii)> family violence, <;> and
3-7 <(iv)> sexual assault; and
3-8 (ii) issues concerning sex offender
3-9 characteristics; and
3-10 (3) include other education and training only if
3-11 determined by the agency head to be consistent with the officer's
3-12 assigned duties.
3-13 <(c) The course provided under Subsection (b) may not exceed
3-14 40 hours.>
3-15 SECTION 4. Each judge who is in office on December 31, 1995,
3-16 and is not exempt must complete the judicial training required by
3-17 Subdivision (8), Subsection (d), Section 22.011, Government Code,
3-18 as added by this Act, before August 31, 1998.
3-19 SECTION 5. (a) The Commission on Law Enforcement Officer
3-20 Standards and Education shall establish the new courses and
3-21 programs required by this Act not later than January 1, 1996.
3-22 (b) For persons who are officers on September 1, 1995, the
3-23 first set of courses required under Section 415.034(c)(2)(B)(ii),
3-24 Government Code, as added by this Act, must be completed before
3-25 September 1, 1997.
3-26 SECTION 6. The importance of this legislation and the
3-27 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-1 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-2 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-3 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
4-4 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
4-5 passage, and it is so enacted.