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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to allowing certain minors convicted of certain alcohol |
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offenses to perform community service instead of attending an |
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alcohol awareness program. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 106.115, Alcoholic Beverage Code, is |
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amended by adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) to read as follows: |
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(b-1) If the defendant resides in a county with a population |
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of 25,000 or less and access to an alcohol awareness program is not |
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readily available in the county or an adjacent county, the court may |
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allow the defendant to take an online alcohol awareness program if |
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the Department of State Health Services approves online courses or |
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require the defendant to perform not less than eight hours of |
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alcohol-related community service approved by the Department of |
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State Health Services under Subsection (b-2) instead of attending |
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the alcohol awareness program. Community service ordered under this |
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subsection is in addition to community service ordered under |
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Section 106.071(d). |
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(b-2) The Department of State Health Services shall create a |
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list of alcohol-related community services in each county in the |
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state to which a judge may sentence a defendant under Subsection |
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(b-1). |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2013. |