Amend SB 1879 by adding the following Sections to read as 
follows and renumbering the subsequent Sections appropriately:
	SECTION ____. Chapter 43, Code of Criminal Procedure, is 
amended by adding Article 43.27 to read as follows:

Art. 43.27. TEXAS INNOCENCE COMMISSION
	Sec. 1. CREATION. The Texas Innocence Commission is created.            
	Sec. 2. COMPOSITION. (a) The commission is composed of nine 
members. The governor shall appoint two members, one of whom must be 
a dean of a law school and one of whom must be a law enforcement 
officer. The lieutenant governor shall appoint one member, who may 
be a member of the legislature. The speaker of the house of 
representatives shall appoint one member, who may a member of the 
legislature. The presiding judge of the court of criminal appeals 
shall appoint one member, who must be a member of the judiciary. The 
presiding officer of the Texas Forensic Science Commission shall 
appoint one member, who must work in the forensic  science field. 
The Texas District and County Attorneys Association shall appoint 
one member, who must be a prosecuting attorney. The Texas Criminal 
Defense Lawyers Association shall appoint one member, who must be a 
criminal defense lawyer. The president of the Texas Center for 
Actual Innocence at The University of Texas School of Law, the 
director of the innocence project at the University of Houston Law 
Center, or the director of the innocence project at the Texas Tech 
University School of Law, on a rotating basis, shall appoint one 
member, who must be an attorney with experience in filing 
successful appellate claims based an actual innocence.
	(b) Each member serves a two-year term.                                 
	(c) The governor shall designate a member to serve as 
presiding officer.
	Sec. 3. DUTIES. (a) The commission shall investigate 
thoroughly all postconviction exonerations involving controlled 
substances under state law, and including convictions vacated based 
on a plea to time served, to:
		(1) ascertain errors and defects in the criminal 
procedure used to prosecute the defendant's case at issue;
		(2) identify errors and defects in the criminal justice 
process in this state generally;
		(3) develop solutions and methods to correct the 
identified errors and defects; and
		(4) identify procedures and programs to prevent future 
wrongful convictions.
	(b) The commission may enter into contracts for research 
services as considered necessary to complete the investigation of a 
particular case, including forensic testing and autopsies.
	Sec. 4. REPORT. (a) The commission shall compile a detailed 
annual report of its findings and recommendations, including any 
proposed legislation to implement procedures and programs to 
prevent future wrongful convictions or executions.
	(b) The report shall be made available to the public on 
request.      
	(c) The findings and recommendations contained in the report 
may not be used as binding evidence in a subsequent civil or 
criminal proceeding.
	Sec. 5. SUBMISSION. The commission shall submit the report 
described by Section 4 to the governor, the lieutenant governor, 
and the speaker of the house of representatives not later than 
December 1 of each even-numbered year.
	Sec. 6. REIMBURSEMENT. A member of the commission is not