By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 54
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to training regarding sexual assault for a judge or
judicial officer.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 22.110(b), Government Code, is amended
to read as follows:
(b) The court of criminal appeals shall adopt the rules
necessary to accomplish the purposes of this section. The rules
must require each district judge, judge of a statutory county
court, associate judge appointed under Chapter 54 of this code or
Chapter 201, Family Code, master, referee, and magistrate to
complete at least eight hours of the training within the judge's
first term of office or the judicial officer's first four years of
service and provide a method for certification of completion of
that training. At least six hours of the training must be dedicated
to the training described by Subsections (d)(5), (6), and (7). Two
hours of the training must be dedicated exclusively to sexual
assault. The rules must require each judge and judicial officer to
complete an additional three hours of training during each
additional term in office or four years of service. The rules must
exempt from the training requirement of this subsection each judge
or judicial officer who files an affidavit stating that the judge or
judicial officer does not hear any cases involving family violence,
sexual assault, or child abuse.
SECTION 2. Section 22.110, Government Code, as amended by
this Act, applies only to a judge or judicial officer who has not
completed the initial training related to family violence, sexual
assault, and child abuse required by that section before September
1, 2003.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
Act takes effect September 1, 2003.