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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the prosecution of offenses against public |
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administration, including ethics offenses, offenses involving |
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insurance fraud, and offenses involving motor fuels tax. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Chapter 402, Government Code, is amended by |
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adding Subchapter D to read as follows: |
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SUBCHAPTER D. PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT |
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Sec. 402.101. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter: |
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(1) "Offense" means a prohibited act for which state |
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law imposes a criminal or civil penalty. |
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(2) "Prosecute" means represent the state to impose a |
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criminal or civil penalty. |
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(3) "Prosecuting attorney" means a district attorney, |
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criminal district attorney, or county attorney. |
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Sec. 402.102. OFFENSES AGAINST PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION. For |
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purposes of this subchapter, the following are offenses against |
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public administration: |
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(1) an offense under Title 8, Penal Code, committed by |
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a state officer or a state employee in connection with the powers |
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and duties of the state office or state employment; |
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(2) an offense under Chapter 301, 302, 305, 571, 572, |
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or 2004; |
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(3) an offense under Chapter 573 committed by a state |
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officer in connection with the powers and duties of the state |
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office; and |
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(4) an offense under Title 15, Election Code, |
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committed in connection with: |
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(A) a campaign for or the holding of state |
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office; or |
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(B) an election on a proposed constitutional |
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amendment. |
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Sec. 402.103. OFFENSES INVOLVING INSURANCE FRAUD. For |
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purposes of this subchapter, the following are offenses involving |
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insurance fraud: |
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(1) an offense under Chapter 35, Penal Code, including |
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an offense under that chapter that involves workers' compensation |
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insurance under Title 5, Labor Code; or |
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(2) a fraudulent insurance act as defined by Section |
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701.001, Insurance Code, including an act that involves workers' |
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compensation insurance under Title 5, Labor Code. |
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Sec. 402.104. OFFENSES INVOLVING MOTOR FUELS TAX. For |
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purposes of this subchapter, an offense involving motor fuels tax |
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means a felony offense under Section 162.403, Tax Code. |
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Sec. 402.105. PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT. The public integrity |
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unit is in the office of the attorney general. |
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Sec. 402.106. PROSECUTION BY PUBLIC INTEGRITY UNIT |
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AUTHORIZED. (a) In any district or county court of appropriate |
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jurisdiction and venue, the public integrity unit may prosecute a |
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person for: |
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(1) an offense against public administration; |
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(2) an offense involving insurance fraud; or |
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(3) an offense involving motor fuels tax. |
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(b) The attorney general may appear before a grand jury in |
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connection with an offense the public integrity unit is authorized |
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to prosecute under Subsection (a). |
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(c) The authority to prosecute prescribed by this |
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subchapter does not affect the authority derived from other law to |
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prosecute the same offenses. |
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Sec. 402.107. COOPERATION WITH LOCAL PROSECUTOR. The |
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attorney general may direct the county or district attorney serving |
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the county in which the offense is to be prosecuted to prosecute an |
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offense that the public integrity unit is authorized to prosecute |
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under Section 402.106 or to assist the unit in the prosecution. |
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Sec. 402.108. COOPERATION OF STATE AGENCIES AND LOCAL LAW |
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ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES. (a) To the extent allowed by law, a state |
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agency or local law enforcement agency shall cooperate with the |
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public integrity unit by providing information requested by the |
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unit as necessary to carry out the purposes of this subchapter. |
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(b) Information disclosed under this section is |
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confidential and not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552. |
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Sec. 402.109. VENUE. Notwithstanding Chapter 13, Code of |
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Criminal Procedure, or other law, if the defendant is a natural |
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person, venue for a prosecution by the public integrity unit for an |
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offense against public administration or an offense involving |
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insurance fraud is in the county in which the defendant resides. |
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SECTION 2. Section 273.024, Election Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 273.024. VENUE. An offense under this subchapter may |
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be prosecuted in the county in which the offense was committed or an |
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adjoining county. [If the offense is committed in connection with a
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statewide election, the offense may be prosecuted in the county in
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which the offense was committed, an adjoining county, or Travis
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County.] |
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SECTION 3. Sections 301.027(b) and (c), Government Code, |
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are amended to read as follows: |
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(b) If the president of the senate or speaker receives a |
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report or statement of facts as provided by Subsection (a), the |
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president of the senate or speaker shall certify the statement of |
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facts to the public integrity unit of the office of the attorney |
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general [Travis County district attorney] under the seal of the |
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senate or house of representatives, as appropriate. |
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(c) The public integrity unit may [Travis County district
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attorney shall] bring the matter before the grand jury for action. |
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If the grand jury returns an indictment, the public integrity unit |
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may [district attorney shall] prosecute the indictment. The |
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authority to prosecute prescribed by this section does not affect |
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the authority derived from other law to prosecute the same offense. |
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SECTION 4. Section 402.009, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 402.009. AUTHORITY TO EMPLOY AND COMMISSION PEACE |
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OFFICERS. The attorney general may employ and commission peace |
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officers as investigators for: |
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(1) the limited purpose of assisting the attorney |
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general in carrying out the duties of that office relating to |
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prosecution assistance and crime prevention; or |
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(2) the purpose of investigating offenses against |
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public administration and offenses involving insurance fraud that |
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may be prosecuted under Subchapter D. |
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SECTION 5. Section 35.04, Penal Code, is amended to read as |
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follows: |
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Sec. 35.04. JURISDICTION OF ATTORNEY GENERAL. (a) As |
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authorized by Section 402.106, Government Code, the public |
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integrity unit of the office of the attorney general may prosecute |
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an offense under Section 35.02. |
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(b) If the public integrity unit does not, as authorized by |
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Section 402.106, Government Code, prosecute an offense under |
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Section 35.02, the [The] attorney general may: |
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(1) offer to an attorney representing the state in the |
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prosecution of the [an] offense [under Section 35.02] the |
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investigative, technical, and litigation assistance of the |
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attorney general's office; or [.] |
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(2) [(b) The attorney general may prosecute or] |
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assist in the prosecution of the [an] offense [under Section 35.02] |
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on the request of the attorney representing the state [described by
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Subsection (a)]. |
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SECTION 6. Sections 305.036 and 572.008, Government Code, |
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are repealed. |
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SECTION 7. (a) Not later than March 1, 2012, the attorney |
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general shall establish the public integrity unit under Subchapter |
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D, Chapter 402, Government Code, as added by this Act. |
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(b) Subchapter D, Chapter 402, Government Code, as added by |
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this Act, applies only to the prosecution of an offense against |
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public administration or an offense involving insurance fraud or |
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motor fuels tax committed on or after April 1, 2012. For purposes of |
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this section, an offense is committed before April 1, 2012, if any |
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element of the offense occurs before that date. |
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(c) The prosecution of an offense committed before April 1, |
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2012, is covered by the law in effect when the offense was |
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committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that |
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purpose, except that a county attorney, district attorney, or |
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criminal district attorney may, on the request of the attorney |
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general, permit the public integrity unit established under |
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Subchapter D, Chapter 402, Government Code, as added by this Act, to |
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assume the prosecution of such an offense. |
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SECTION 8. This Act takes effect September 1, 2011. |