HBA-RBT H.B. 1718 76(R) BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 1718 By: Dukes Criminal Jurisprudence 4/21/1999 Introduced BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In August of 1998, there was $181.7 million dollars in the Crime Victims Compensation Fund. This fund was set up in 1979 to provide services for victims of a crime. Money deposited in this fund is collected by fines levied on criminals. State law prescribes that law enforcement officers and prosecutor's offices must provide crime victims with crime-victim liaisons and victim assistance coordinators, however the legislature did not allocate funds to provide these services. H.B. 1718 allows excess funds in the Crime Victims Compensation Fund to be allocated for these services and to provide victims with a transcript of their criminal trial. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that this bill does not expressly delegate any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS SECTION 1. Amends Article 56.54(b), Code of Criminal Procedure, as amended by Chapter 1042 and 1434, Acts of the 75th Legislature, Regular Session, 1997, to make changes conforming to SECTION 2 of this Act. SECTION 2. Amends Article 56.54, Code of Criminal Procedure, by adding Subsections (j) and (k), to authorize the legislature to appropriate money in the compensation to victims of crime fund to pay the salaries and operating expenses of the victim assistance coordinators and the crime victim liaisons. Authorizes the attorney general to use the compensation to victims of crime fund to pay the cost of providing a transcript of the trial to the victim on the victim's request. SECTION 3. Emergency clause. Effective date: upon passage.