By Dukes H.B. No. 1718
76R4426 KEL-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the use of the compensation to victims of crime fund to
1-3 pay the cost of providing certain victims' services and assistance.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Article 56.54(b), Code of Criminal Procedure, as
1-6 amended by Chapters 1042 and 1434, Acts of the 75th Legislature,
1-7 Regular Session, 1997, is reenacted and amended to read as follows:
1-8 (b) Except as provided by Subsections (h), [and] (i), (j),
1-9 and (k) and Article 56.541, the compensation to victims of crime
1-10 fund may be used only by the attorney general for the payment of
1-11 compensation to claimants or victims under this subchapter, the
1-12 operation of the Crime Victims' Institute created by Chapter 412,
1-13 Government Code, and other expenses in administering this
1-14 subchapter.
1-15 SECTION 2. Article 56.54, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
1-16 amended by adding Subsections (j) and (k) to read as follows:
1-17 (j) The legislature may appropriate money in the
1-18 compensation to victims of crime fund to pay the salaries and
1-19 operating expenses of the victim assistance coordinators and the
1-20 crime victim liaisons described by Article 56.04.
1-21 (k) The attorney general may use the compensation to victims
1-22 of crime fund to pay the cost of providing a transcript of the
1-23 trial to the victim on the victim's request.
1-24 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the
2-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-5 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-6 passage, and it is so enacted.