By Haywood                                      S.B. No. 1385

      75R8376 MLS-D                           

                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

 1-1                                   AN ACT

 1-2     relating to the use of videoconferencing technology by the office

 1-3     of the attorney general.

 1-4           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

 1-5           SECTION 1.  Subchapter B, Chapter 402, Government Code, is

 1-6     amended by adding Section 402.0213 to read as follows:

 1-7           Sec. 402.0213.  APPEARANCE THROUGH VIDEOCONFERENCING

 1-8     TECHNOLOGY.  (a)  The office of the attorney general may use

 1-9     videoconferencing technology:

1-10                 (1)  as a substitute for personal appearances in civil

1-11     and criminal proceedings, as approved by the court; and

1-12                 (2)  for any proceeding, conference, or training

1-13     conducted by an employee of the office of the attorney general

1-14     whose duties include the implementation of Chapter 56, Code of

1-15     Criminal Procedure, and Chapter 57, Family Code.

1-16           (b)  In this section, "videoconferencing technology" means

1-17     technology that provides for a conference of individuals in

1-18     different locations, connected by electronic means, through audio,

1-19     video, or both.

1-20           SECTION 2.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1997.

1-21           SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the

1-22     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an

1-23     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the

1-24     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several

 2-1     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.