By Deshotel H.B. No. 131
77R813 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 reimburse the reasonable costs of certain victims' medical
1-4 examinations.
1-5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-6 SECTION 1. Article 56.06, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
1-7 amended to read as follows:
1-8 Art. 56.06. COSTS OF MEDICAL EXAMINATION. (a) A law
1-9 enforcement agency that requests a medical examination of a victim
1-10 of an alleged sexual assault for use in the investigation or
1-11 prosecution of the offense shall pay all costs of the examination.
1-12 On application to the attorney general, the law enforcement agency
1-13 is entitled to be reimbursed for the reasonable costs of that
1-14 examination.
1-15 (b) A law enforcement agency or prosecuting attorney's
1-16 office may pay all costs related to the testimony of a licensed
1-17 health care professional in a criminal proceeding regarding the
1-18 results of the medical examination or manner in which it was
1-19 performed.
1-20 (c) [(b)] This article does not require a law enforcement
1-21 agency to pay any costs of treatment for injuries.
1-22 SECTION 2. Article 56.54(b), Code of Criminal Procedure, as
1-23 amended by Chapters 1042 and 1434, Acts of the 75th Legislature,
1-24 Regular Session, 1997, is reenacted and amended to read as follows:
2-1 (b) Except as provided by Subsections (h), [and] (i), (j),
2-2 and (k) and Article 56.541, the compensation to victims of crime
2-3 fund may be used only by the attorney general for the payment of
2-4 compensation to claimants or victims under this subchapter, the
2-5 operation of the Crime Victims' Institute created by Chapter 412,
2-6 Government Code, and other expenses in administering this
2-7 subchapter.
2-8 SECTION 3. Article 56.54, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
2-9 amended by adding Subsection (k) to read as follows:
2-10 (k) The attorney general may use the compensation to victims
2-11 of crime fund to reimburse a law enforcement agency for the
2-12 reasonable costs of a medical examination that are incurred by the
2-13 agency under Article 56.06.
2-14 SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a
2-15 vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
2-16 provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
2-17 Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
2-18 Act takes effect September 1, 2001.