S.B. 51 78(R) BILL ANALYSIS S.B. 51 By: Zaffirini Law Enforcement Committee Report (Unamended) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Currently, law enforcement agencies are not required to provide a victim of sexual assault with written information relating to local sexual assault victims' services. Studies show that the first response a victim receives after reporting a sexual assault significantly impacts the recovery period. In order to facilitate contact between a victim and a service provider, Senate Bill 51 requires law enforcement agencies to provide victims with written information regarding available sexual assault services. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution. ANALYSIS Senate Bill 51 adds Article 56.07(b) to the Code of Criminal Procedure, requiring that at the same time a law enforcement agency provides a victim with written notices required by this section, the agency must provide the victim with a referral to a sexual assault program as defined by Section 420.003, Government Code, and a written description of the program's services, if the relevant information is available. The bill allows a sexual assault program to provide a written description of its services to a law enforcement agency. EFFECTIVE DATE Upon passage, or, if the Act does not receive the necessary vote, the Act takes effect September 1, 2003.