By Raymond                                            H.B. No. 2721
         77R8018 ATP-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 for expert witnesses in criminal cases based on child abuse or
 1-4     the death of a child.
 1-5           BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
 1-6           SECTION 1. Article 56.54(b), Code of Criminal Procedure, as
 1-7     amended by Chapters 1042 and 1434, Acts of the 75th Legislature,
 1-8     Regular Session, 1997, is reenacted and amended to read as follows:
 1-9           (b)  Except as provided by Subsections (h), [and] (i), (j),
1-10     and (k) and Article 56.541, the compensation to victims of crime
1-11     fund may be used only by the attorney general for the payment of
1-12     compensation to claimants or victims under this subchapter, the
1-13     operation of the Crime Victims' Institute created by Chapter 412,
1-14     Government Code, and other expenses in administering this
1-15     subchapter.
1-16           SECTION 2. Article 56.54, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
1-17     amended by adding Subsection (k) to read as follows:
1-18           (k)  The attorney general may use the compensation to victims
1-19     of crime fund to pay an expert witness fee incurred in the
1-20     investigation or prosecution of a criminal case based on physical
1-21     or sexual abuse of a child or the death of a child.  The attorney
1-22     general must pay the fee directly from the fund to the expert
1-23     witness.  The attorney general may not pay more than $5,000 from
1-24     the fund for an expert witness fee.
 2-1           SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
 2-2     a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
 2-3     provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution.  If this
 2-4     Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
 2-5     Act takes effect September 1, 2001.