SRC-BWC S.B. 1227 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 1227
77R6726 ATP-DBy: Lindsay
Criminal Justice
4/5/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, a child advocacy center (center) is not allowed to bill the
Crime Victims Compensation Fund (CVCF) to cover its medical costs although
it is treating child victims.  When law enforcement agencies and Children's
Protective Services (CPS) use such a center to obtain medical treatment for
children under their control, neither the law enforcement agencies nor CPS
pays the center the amount necessary to cover the expenses for the medical
exam.  As proposed, S.B. 1227 allows a center to bill CVCF for its
reasonable costs in providing medical treatment, therapy, or medical
evaluations, including lab work, to victims of abuse.  S.B. 1227 also
allows for CVCF to pay for testimony, including expert witnesses, on behalf
of abused children in court proceedings related to the abuse.   

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a
state officer, institution, or agency. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1.  Reenacts and amends Article 56.54(b), Code of Criminal
Procedure, as amended by Chapters 1042 and 1434, Acts of the 75th
Legislature, Regular Session, 1997, as follows: 

(b) Adds Subsection (j) and (k) as exceptions to the requirement that the
compensation to victims of crime fund be used only by the attorney general
for the payment of compensation to claimants or victims under this
subchapter, the operation of the Crime Victims' Institute created by
Chapter 412, Government Code, and other expenses in administering this
subchapter. 

SECTION 2.  Amends Article 56.54, Code of Criminal Procedures, to authorize
the attorney general to use the compensation to victims of crime fund to
reimburse a children's advocacy center established under Chapter 264E
(Children's Advocacy Centers), Family Code, for reasonable costs incurred
by the center in providing medical treatment, therapy, or medical
evaluations, including laboratory work, to victims of child abuse and
testimony on behalf of abused children in court proceedings related to the
abuse. 

SECTION 3.  Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2001.