H.B. No. 2916
 
 
 
 
AN ACT
  relating to allowing certain claimants to file an application under
  the Crime Victims' Compensation Act.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Article 56.37, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows:
         (e)  For a claim that is based on criminally injurious
  conduct in violation of Chapter 19, Penal Code, the claimant must
  file an application not later than three years after the date the
  identity of the victim is established by a law enforcement agency.
         SECTION 2.  Article 56.61, Code of Criminal Procedure, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Art. 56.61.  COMPENSATION FOR CERTAIN CRIMINALLY INJURIOUS
  CONDUCT PROHIBITED; EXCEPTION.  (a)  Except as provided by
  Subsection (b), the [The] attorney general may not award
  compensation for pecuniary [economic] loss arising from criminally
  injurious conduct that occurred before January 1, 1980.
         (b)  The attorney general may award compensation for
  pecuniary loss arising from criminally injurious conduct that
  occurred before January 1, 1980, if:
               (1)  the conduct was in violation of Chapter 19, Penal
  Code;
               (2)  the identity of the victim is established by a law
  enforcement agency on or after January 1, 2009, and the pecuniary
  loss was incurred with respect to the victim's funeral or burial on
  or after that date; and
               (3)  the claimant files the application for
  compensation within the limitations period provided by Article
  56.37(e).
         SECTION 3.  The change in law made by this Act applies only
  to criminally injurious conduct committed against a victim whose
  identity is established by a law enforcement agency on or after
  January 1, 2009. Criminally injurious conduct committed against a
  victim whose identity is established by a law enforcement agency
  before January 1, 2009, is covered by the law in effect on the date
  the victim's identity was established, and the former law is
  continued in effect for that purpose.
         SECTION 4.  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, 2009.
 
 
  ______________________________ ______________________________
     President of the Senate Speaker of the House     
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2916 was passed by the House on April
  28, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 149, Nays 0, 1 present, not
  voting.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House   
 
 
         I certify that H.B. No. 2916 was passed by the Senate on May
  27, 2009, by the following vote:  Yeas 31, Nays 0.
 
  ______________________________
  Secretary of the Senate    
  APPROVED:  _____________________
                     Date          
   
            _____________________
                   Governor