H.B. No. 1489




AN ACT

relating to the purposes for which money in the compensation to 
victims of crime fund may be used.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:                        
	SECTION 1.  Article 56.01, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 
amended to read as follows:
	Art. 56.01.  DEFINITIONS.  In this chapter:                                    
		(1)  "Close relative of a deceased victim" means a 
person who was the spouse of a deceased victim at the time of the 
victim's death or who is a parent or adult brother, sister, or child 
of the deceased victim.
		(2)  "Guardian of a victim" means a person who is the 
legal guardian of the victim, whether or not the legal relationship 
between the guardian and victim exists because of the age of the 
victim or the physical or mental incompetency of the victim.
		(3)  "Victim" means a person who is the victim of sexual 
assault, kidnapping, or aggravated robbery or who has suffered 
personal [bodily] injury or death as a result of the criminal 
conduct of another.
	SECTION 2.  Article 56.32(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, is 
amended by adding Subdivision (13) to read as follows:
		(13)  "Victim-related services or assistance" means 
compensation, services, or assistance provided directly to a victim 
or claimant for the purpose of supporting or assisting the recovery 
of the victim or claimant from the consequences of criminally 
injurious conduct.
	SECTION 3.  Article 56.541(b), Code of Criminal Procedure, 
is amended to read as follows:
	(b)  At the time the attorney general certifies the estimates 
made under Subsection (a), the attorney general shall also certify 
for the next state fiscal biennium the amount of excess money in the 
compensation to victims of crime fund for purposes of Subsection 
(c), calculated by subtracting [multiplying] the amount estimated 
under Subsection (a)(2) [by 120 percent, and subtracting that 
product] from the sum of the amounts estimated under Subsections 
(a)(1) and (a)(3).
	SECTION 4.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2005.                           




______________________________              ______________________________
 
   President of the Senate                               Speaker of the House      

	I certify that H.B. No. 1489 was passed by the House on April 
6, 2005, by a non-record vote.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Chief Clerk of the House   

	I certify that H.B. No. 1489 was passed by the Senate on May 
3, 2005, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Secretary of the Senate    



APPROVED:  _____________________                                            
 
                   Date                                                      




 
          _____________________                                          
 
                 Governor