Amend HB 1572 by adding appropriately numbered Sections to the bill to read as follows and by renumbering existing Sections of the bill accordingly: SECTION __. Subchapter A, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended by adding Article 56.13 to read as follows: Art. 56.13. CUSTODY AND COURT INFORMATION AND NOTIFICATION SYSTEM. (a) The victim services office of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall establish, through funding from the compensation to victims of crime fund, a program to implement and operate a custody and court information and notification system to: (1) establish a toll-free number that a person anywhere in the state may call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for information regarding: (A) whether an offender has been released or transferred or has escaped from custody; (B) the location of an offender who has been transferred; and (C) scheduled public court proceedings and dispositions related to a criminal offense; and (2) notify the victim, or any concerned individual who has provided the program with an address or telephone number as required by Subsection (b), by telephone, facsimile, electronic mail, letter, or any other reasonable means when there is a change in: (A) the custody status of the offender; or (B) the schedule of a public court proceeding related to the offense. (b) It is the responsibility of the victim or a concerned individual desiring notice under Subsection (a)(2) to provide the victim services office of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice with the telephone number, facsimile number, electronic mail address, or address of the victim, concerned individual, or other person through whom the victim or individual may be contacted and to notify the victim services office of any change in telephone or facsimile number, electronic mail address, or address of the victim, individual, or other person. Information obtained and maintained by the victim services office under this subsection is privileged and confidential. (c) A county may elect to participate in the program by receiving computer equipment for county courts and corrections facilities from the victim services office of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice under Subsection (e)(2) and providing information to the victim services office. The victim services office shall notify a victim or a concerned individual immediately if the victim services office receives from a participating county information that: (1) the offender has been released or transferred; (2) there has been a change in the schedule for a public court proceeding related to the offense; or (3) the offender has escaped from custody. (d) The victim services office of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall make available information and notification services provided under this article in English, Spanish, and any other languages selected by the program. (e) As part of the information and notification system, the victim services office of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall: (1) establish an automated system to notify victims and concerned individuals under Subsection (a)(2) by a computerized telephone service; (2) provide computer equipment to corrections facilities and courts to enable the corrections facilities and courts to automatically notify the victim services office to enable the victim services office to notify victims and concerned individuals of information regarding the custody status of an offender or a scheduled public court proceeding related to a criminal offense; (3) establish a service for monitoring the information and notification systems; (4) establish a project management team for the implementation and ongoing operation of the information and notification system to enable the victim services office to effectively carry out the administration of the information and notification system; (5) create a secure Internet site for victim advocacy groups selected by the project management team, to view offender information and register victims for written notification; and (6) provide training or support materials to educate the public, law enforcement, and victim service providers on the services provided by the program under this article. (f) This article may not be construed as altering any duty that a law enforcement agency has under the laws of this state to notify a crime victim or a person designated by the victim to receive notice. (g) The victim services office of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is immune from liability for good faith conduct under this section. SECTION __. Article 56.541, Code of Criminal Procedure, is amended by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows: (g) The victims services office of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall use money appropriated from the compensation to victims of crime fund for grants or contracts supporting a custody and court information and notification system established under Article 56.13.