1-1     By:  Shapiro                                           S.B. No. 381

 1-2           (In the Senate - Filed January 29, 1997; February 3, 1997,

 1-3     read first time and referred to Committee on Criminal Justice;

 1-4     April 1, 1997, reported adversely, with favorable Committee

 1-5     Substitute by the following vote:  Yeas 6, Nays 0; April 1, 1997,

 1-6     sent to printer.)

 1-7     COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 381                  By:  Shapiro

 1-8                            A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-9                                   AN ACT

1-10     relating to the civil and criminal consequences of a grant of

1-11     deferred adjudication for a sexual offense or a sexually assaultive

1-12     offense and to the prosecution of certain defendants charged with

1-13     or convicted of those offenses.

1-14           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

1-15           SECTION 1.  Subsections (a), (c), and (d), Section 5, Article

1-16     42.12, Code of Criminal Procedure, are amended to read as follows:

1-17           (a)  Except as provided by Subsection (d) of this section,

1-18     when in the judge's opinion the best interest of society and the

1-19     defendant will be served, the judge may, after receiving a plea of

1-20     guilty or plea of nolo contendere, hearing the evidence, and

1-21     finding that it substantiates the defendant's guilt, defer further

1-22     proceedings without entering an adjudication of guilt, and place

1-23     the defendant on community supervision.  A judge may place on

1-24     community supervision under this section a defendant charged with

1-25     an offense under Section 21.11, 22.011, or 22.021, Penal Code,

1-26     regardless of the age of the victim, or a defendant charged with a

1-27     felony described by Section 13B(b) of this article, only if the

1-28     judge makes a finding in open court that placing the defendant on

1-29     community supervision is in the best interest of the victim.  The

1-30     failure of the judge to find that deferred adjudication is in the

1-31     best interest of the victim is not grounds for the defendant to set

1-32     aside the plea, deferred adjudication, or any subsequent conviction

1-33     or sentence.  After placing the defendant on community supervision

1-34     under this section, the judge shall inform the defendant orally or

1-35     in writing of the possible consequences under Subsection (b) of

1-36     this section of a violation of community supervision.  If the

1-37     information is provided orally, the judge must record and maintain

1-38     the judge's statement to the defendant.  The failure of a judge to

1-39     inform a defendant of possible consequences under Subsection (b) of

1-40     this section is not a ground for reversal unless the defendant

1-41     shows that he was harmed by the failure of the judge to provide the

1-42     information.  In a felony case, except as otherwise provided by

1-43     this subsection, the period of community supervision may not exceed

1-44     10 years.  For a defendant charged with a felony under Section

1-45     21.11, 22.011, or 22.021, Penal Code, regardless of the age of the

1-46     victim, and for a defendant charged with a felony described by

1-47     Section 13B(b) of this article, the period of community supervision

1-48     may not be less than five years or more than 20 years.  In a

1-49     misdemeanor case, the period of community supervision may not

1-50     exceed two years.  A judge may increase the maximum period of

1-51     community supervision in the manner provided by Section 22(c) of

1-52     this article.  The judge may impose a fine applicable to the

1-53     offense and require any reasonable conditions of community

1-54     supervision, including mental health treatment under Section 11(d)

1-55     of this article, that a judge could impose on a defendant placed on

1-56     community supervision for a conviction that was probated and

1-57     suspended, including confinement.  The provisions of Section 15 of

1-58     this article specifying whether a defendant convicted of a state

1-59     jail felony is to be confined in a county jail or state jail felony

1-60     facility and establishing the minimum and maximum terms of

1-61     confinement as a condition of community supervision apply in the

1-62     same manner to a defendant placed on community supervision after

1-63     pleading guilty or nolo contendere to a state jail felony.

1-64     However, upon written motion of the defendant requesting final

 2-1     adjudication filed within 30 days after entering such plea and the

 2-2     deferment of adjudication, the judge shall proceed to final

 2-3     adjudication as in all other cases.

 2-4           (c)  On expiration of a community supervision period imposed

 2-5     under Subsection (a) of this section, if the judge has not

 2-6     proceeded to adjudication of guilt, the judge shall dismiss the

 2-7     proceedings against the defendant and discharge him.  The judge may

 2-8     dismiss the proceedings and discharge a defendant, other than a

 2-9     defendant charged with an offense described by Section 13B(b) of

2-10     this article, prior to the expiration of the term of community

2-11     supervision if in the judge's opinion the best interest of society

2-12     and the defendant will be served.  The judge may dismiss the

2-13     proceedings and discharge a defendant charged with a felony

2-14     described by Section 13B(b) of this article only if in the judge's

2-15     opinion the best interest of society and the defendant will be

2-16     served and the defendant has successfully completed at least

2-17     two-thirds of the period of community supervision.  Except as

2-18     provided by Section 12.42(g), Penal Code, a [A] dismissal and

2-19     discharge under this section may not be deemed a conviction for the

2-20     purposes of disqualifications or disabilities imposed by law for

2-21     conviction of an offense.  For any defendant who receives a

2-22     dismissal and discharge under this section[, except that]:

2-23                 (1)  upon conviction of a subsequent offense, the fact

2-24     that the defendant had previously received community supervision

2-25     with a deferred adjudication of guilt shall be admissible before

2-26     the court or jury to be considered on the issue of penalty;

2-27                 (2)  if the defendant is an applicant for a license or

2-28     is a licensee under Chapter 42, Human Resources Code, the Texas

2-29     Department of Human Services may consider the fact that the

2-30     defendant previously has received community supervision with a

2-31     deferred adjudication of guilt under this section in issuing,

2-32     renewing, denying, or revoking a license under that chapter; and

2-33                 (3)  if the defendant is a person who has applied for

2-34     registration to provide mental health or medical services for the

2-35     rehabilitation of sex offenders, the Interagency Council on Sex

2-36     Offender Treatment may consider the fact that the defendant has

2-37     received community supervision under this section in issuing,

2-38     renewing, denying, or revoking a license or registration issued by

2-39     that council.

2-40           (d)  In all other cases the judge may grant deferred

2-41     adjudication unless:

2-42                 (1)  the defendant is charged with an offense:

2-43                       (A) [(1)]  under Section 49.04, 49.05, 49.06,

2-44     49.07, or 49.08, Penal Code; or

2-45                       (B) [(2)]  for which punishment may be increased

2-46     under Section 481.134(c), (d), (e), or (f), Health and Safety Code,

2-47     if it is shown that the defendant has been previously convicted of

2-48     an offense for which punishment was increased under any one of

2-49     those subsections; or

2-50                 (2)  the defendant:

2-51                       (A)  is charged with an offense under Section

2-52     21.11, 22.011, or 22.021, Penal Code, regardless of the age of the

2-53     victim, or a felony described by Section 13B(b) of this article;

2-54     and

2-55                       (B)  has previously been placed on community

2-56     supervision for any offense under Paragraph (A) of this

2-57     subdivision.

2-58           SECTION 2.  Subsection (b), Section 3.03, Penal Code, is

2-59     amended to read as follows:

2-60           (b)  If the accused is found guilty of more than one offense

2-61     arising out of the same criminal episode, the sentences may run

2-62     concurrently or consecutively if each sentence is for a conviction

2-63     of:

2-64                 (1)  an offense:

2-65                       (A)  under Section 49.08; or

2-66                       (B) [(2)  an offense] for which a plea agreement

2-67     was reached in a case in which the accused was charged with more

2-68     than one offense under Section 49.08; or

2-69                 (2)  an offense:

 3-1                       (A)  under Section 21.11, 22.011, 22.021, 25.02,

 3-2     or 43.25 committed against a victim younger than 17 years of age at

 3-3     the time of the commission of the offense regardless of whether the

 3-4     accused is convicted of violations of the same section more than

 3-5     once or is convicted of violations of more than one section; or

 3-6                       (B)  for which a plea agreement was reached in a

 3-7     case in which the accused was charged with more than one offense

 3-8     listed in Paragraph (A) committed against a victim younger than 17

 3-9     years of age at the time of the commission of the offense

3-10     regardless of whether the accused is charged with violations of the

3-11     same section more than once or is charged with violations of more

3-12     than one section.

3-13           SECTION 3.  Section 3.04, Penal Code, is amended by adding

3-14     Subsection (c) to read as follows:

3-15           (c)  The right to severance under this section does not apply

3-16     to a prosecution for offenses described by Section 3.03(b)(2)

3-17     unless the court determines that the defendant or the state would

3-18     be unfairly prejudiced by a joinder of offenses, in which event the

3-19     judge may order the offenses to be tried separately or may order

3-20     other relief as justice requires.

3-21           SECTION 4.  Section 12.42, Penal Code, is amended by adding

3-22     Subsection (g) to read as follows:

3-23           (g)  For the purposes of Subsection (d)(2):

3-24                 (1)  a defendant has been previously convicted of an

3-25     offense listed under Subsection (d)(2)(B) if the defendant was

3-26     adjudged guilty of the offense or entered a plea of guilty or nolo

3-27     contendere in return for a grant of deferred adjudication,

3-28     regardless of whether the sentence for the offense was ever imposed

3-29     or whether the sentence was probated and the defendant was

3-30     subsequently discharged from community supervision; and

3-31                 (2)  a conviction under the laws of another state for

3-32     an offense containing elements that are substantially similar to

3-33     the elements of an offense listed under Subsection (d)(2)(B) is a

3-34     conviction of an offense listed under Subsection (d)(2)(B).

3-35           SECTION 5.  Subsection (e), Section 3, Article 6252-13c.1,

3-36     Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

3-37           (e)  Not later than the eighth day after receiving a

3-38     registration form under Subsection (b), (c), or (d) of this

3-39     section, the local law enforcement authority shall verify the age

3-40     of the victim and the basis on which the person is subject to

3-41     registration under this article.  If the victim is a child younger

3-42     than 17 years of age and the basis on which the person is subject

3-43     to registration is not an adjudication of delinquent conduct [or a

3-44     deferred adjudication] and is not a conviction  or a deferred

3-45     adjudication for an offense under  Section 25.02, Penal Code, the

3-46     authority shall immediately publish notice in English and Spanish

3-47     in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the county in

3-48     which the person subject to registration intends to reside.  The

3-49     authority shall publish a duplicate notice in the newspaper, with

3-50     any necessary corrections, during the week immediately following

3-51     the week of initial publication.  If the victim is a child younger

3-52     than 17 years of age, regardless of the basis on which the person

3-53     is subject to registration, the authority shall immediately provide

3-54     notice to the superintendent of public schools of the school

3-55     district in which the person subject to registration intends to

3-56     reside by mail to the district office.

3-57           SECTION 6.  Subsection (f), Section 4, Article 6252-13c.1,

3-58     Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

3-59           (f)  If the person moves to another municipality or county in

3-60     this state, the department shall inform the applicable local law

3-61     enforcement authority in the new area of the person's residence not

3-62     later than the third day after the date on which the department

3-63     receives information under Subsection (a) of this section.  Not

3-64     later than the eighth day after the date on which the local law

3-65     enforcement authority is informed under Subsection (a) of this

3-66     section or under this subsection, the authority shall verify the

3-67     age of the victim and the basis on which the person is subject to

3-68     registration under this article.  If the victim is a child younger

3-69     than 17 years of age and the basis on which the person is subject

 4-1     to registration is not an adjudication of delinquent conduct [or a

 4-2     deferred adjudication] and is not a conviction or a deferred

 4-3     adjudication for an offense under Section 25.02, Penal Code, the

 4-4     authority shall immediately publish notice in English and Spanish

 4-5     in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the county in

 4-6     which the person subject to registration intends to reside.  The

 4-7     local law enforcement authority shall publish a duplicate notice in

 4-8     the newspaper, with any necessary corrections, during the week

 4-9     immediately following the week of initial publication.  If the

4-10     victim is a child younger than 17 years of age, regardless of the

4-11     basis on which the person is subject to registration, the authority

4-12     shall immediately provide notice to the superintendent of public

4-13     schools of the school district in which the person subject to

4-14     registration intends to reside by mail to the district office.

4-15           SECTION 7.  (a)  The change in law made by this Act applies

4-16     only to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this

4-17     Act.  For purposes of this section, an offense is committed before

4-18     the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurs

4-19     before the effective date.

4-20           (b)  An offense committed before the effective date of this

4-21     Act is covered by the law in effect when the offense was committed,

4-22     and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

4-23           SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

4-24           SECTION 9.  The importance of this legislation and the

4-25     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

4-26     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

4-27     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

4-28     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.

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