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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the use of the judicial and court personnel training |
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fund. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Sections 56.003(a) and (f), Government Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) Unless the legislature specifically appropriates or |
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provides additional money for purposes of this subsection, the |
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[The] court of criminal appeals may not use more than three percent |
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of the money appropriated in any one fiscal year to hire staff and |
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provide for the proper administration of this chapter. |
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(f) The court of criminal appeals shall grant legal funds to |
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law enforcement officers, law students, and other participants, and |
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to statewide professional associations of prosecuting attorneys, |
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criminal defense attorneys who regularly represent indigent |
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defendants in criminal matters, and justices of the peace, and |
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other entities. The association's or entity's purposes must |
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include providing continuing legal education, technical |
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assistance, and other support programs. |
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SECTION 2. Section 56.004(b), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(b) The legislature shall appropriate funds from the |
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judicial and court personnel training fund to the court of criminal |
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appeals to provide for continuing legal education, technical |
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assistance, and other support programs for prosecuting attorneys |
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and their personnel, criminal defense attorneys who regularly |
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represent indigent defendants in criminal matters, [and] justices |
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of the peace and their court personnel, law enforcement officers, |
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law students, and other participants. |
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SECTION 3. Sections 56.006(a) and (b), Government Code, are |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The court of criminal appeals may adopt rules for |
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programs relating to education and training for attorneys, judges, |
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justices of the peace, district clerks, county clerks, law |
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enforcement officers, law students, other participants, and court |
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personnel, including court coordinators, as provided by Section |
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56.003 and for the administration of those programs, including |
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rules that: |
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(1) require entities receiving a grant of funds to |
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provide legislatively required training; and |
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(2) base the awarding of grant funds to an entity on |
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qualitative information about the entity's programs or services and |
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the entity's ability to meet financial performance standards. |
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(b) The court of criminal appeals, for the proper |
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administration of this chapter and as part of its oversight of |
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training programs for attorneys, judges, justices of the peace, |
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district clerks, county clerks, law enforcement officers, law |
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students, other participants, and court personnel, including court |
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coordinators, as provided by Section 56.003, shall monitor both the |
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financial performance and the program performance of entities |
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receiving a grant of funds under this chapter. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2007. |