By Wise                                               H.B. No. 2046
         76R7037 PEP-D                           
                                A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 1-1                                   AN ACT
 1-2     relating to certain education and training provided in the
 1-3     detection, investigation, and documentation of cases of child abuse
 1-4     and neglect and  to the use of the compensation to victims of crime
 1-5     fund to pay the expenses of that education and training.
 1-6           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-7           SECTION 1.  Article 56.54(b), Code of Criminal Procedure, as
 1-8     amended by Chapters 1042 and 1434, Acts of the 75th Legislature,
 1-9     Regular Session, 1997, is reenacted and amended to read as follows:
1-10           (b)  Except as provided by Subsections (h), [and] (i), and
1-11     (j) and Article 56.541, the compensation to victims of crime fund
1-12     may be used only by the attorney general for the payment of
1-13     compensation to claimants or victims under this subchapter, the
1-14     operation of the Crime Victims' Institute created by Chapter 412,
1-15     Government Code, and other expenses in administering this
1-16     subchapter.
1-17           SECTION 2.  Article 56.54, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
1-18     amended by adding Subsection (j) to read as follows:
1-19           (j)  The legislature may appropriate money in the
1-20     compensation to victims of crime fund to the Commission on Law
1-21     Enforcement Officer Standards and Education to pay the expenses of
1-22     developing and providing to law enforcement officers courses and
1-23     programs to provide training in the detection, investigation, and
1-24     documentation of cases of child abuse and neglect as required by
 2-1     Section 415.032, Government Code.
 2-2           SECTION 3.  Section 74.010(a), Human Resources Code, is
 2-3     amended to read as follows:
 2-4           (a)  The council may award grants to fund child abuse and
 2-5     neglect prevention programs to eligible applicants.  The council,
 2-6     from funds appropriated to the council under Article 56.541, Code
 2-7     of Criminal Procedure, may award grants to fund education and
 2-8     training programs regarding the detection, investigation, and
 2-9     documentation of cases of child abuse and neglect that are provided
2-10     to individuals who, in their capacity as professionals, are in
2-11     frequent contact with children, including teachers, day-care
2-12     providers, law enforcement personnel, and health care providers.
2-13           SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
2-14     crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
2-15     emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
2-16     constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
2-17     days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
2-18     and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
2-19     passage, and it is so enacted.