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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. Section 56.003, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsection (g) to read as |
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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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(g) The court of criminal appeals shall grant legal funds to |
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statewide professional associations and other entities that |
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provide innocence training programs related to defendants' claims |
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of factual innocence following conviction to law enforcement |
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officers, law students, and other participants. |
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SECTION 2. Subsection (b), Section 56.004, Government Code, |
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is amended 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: |
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(1) continuing legal education, technical assistance, |
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and other support programs for prosecuting attorneys and their |
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personnel, criminal defense attorneys who regularly represent |
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indigent defendants in criminal matters, and justices of the peace |
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and their court personnel; and |
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(2) innocence training programs for law enforcement |
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officers, law students, and other participants. |
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SECTION 3. Section 56.006, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 56.006. RULES; OVERSIGHT. (a) The court of criminal |
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appeals may adopt rules for programs relating to education and |
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training for attorneys, judges, justices of the peace, district |
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clerks, county clerks, law enforcement officers, law students, |
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other participants, and court personnel, including court |
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coordinators, as provided by Section 56.003 and for the |
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administration of those programs, including 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. |
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