By: Zaffirini, Barrientos S.B. No. 1202
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the limits on compensation paid by the state to certain
1-3 victims of crime.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Subsections (a) and (b), Article 56.42, Code of
1-6 Criminal Procedure, are amended to read as follows:
1-7 (a) Except as otherwise provided by this article, awards
1-8 payable to a victim and all other claimants sustaining pecuniary
1-9 loss because of injury or death of that victim may not exceed
1-10 $100,000 [$50,000] in the aggregate.
1-11 (b) In addition to an award payable under Subsection (a),
1-12 the attorney general may award an additional $75,000 [$50,000] for
1-13 extraordinary pecuniary losses, if the personal injury to a victim
1-14 is catastrophic and results in a total and permanent disability to
1-15 the victim, for lost wages and reasonable and necessary costs of:
1-16 (1) making a home or automobile accessible;
1-17 (2) obtaining job training and vocational
1-18 rehabilitation;
1-19 (3) training in the use of special appliances; [and]
1-20 (4) receiving home health care;
1-21 (5) durable medical equipment;
1-22 (6) rehabilitation technology; and
1-23 (7) long-term medical expenses incurred as a result of
1-24 medically indicated treatment for the personal injury.
1-25 SECTION 2. (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
2-1 only to a claim for compensation from the compensation to victims
2-2 of crime fund based on an offense committed or a violation that
2-3 occurs on or after the effective date of this Act. For purposes of
2-4 this section, an offense was committed or a violation occurred
2-5 before the effective date of this Act if any element of the offense
2-6 or violation occurred before that date.
2-7 (b) A claim for compensation from the compensation to
2-8 victims of crime fund based on an offense committed or a violation
2-9 that occurred before the effective date of this Act is covered by
2-10 the law in effect when the offense was committed or the violation
2-11 occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that
2-12 purpose.
2-13 SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.