AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

 

This legislation clarifies that a forensic interview for a child victim can be conducted offsite and that it need not take place at a Children's Advocacy Center location.  It also clarifies that recorded forensic interviews of child victims are not to be distributed to unauthorized parties.

 

As proposed, S.B. 60 amends current law relating to children's advocacy centers.

 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

 

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

 

SECTION 1. Amends Section 264.408(d), Family Code, as follows:

 

(d) Provides that a video recording of an interview of a child that is made by a children's advocacy center (center), rather than at a center, is the property of the prosecuting attorney involved in the criminal prosecution of the case involving the child. Deletes existing text providing that the center is responsible for the custody of the video recording if the center employs a custodian of records for video recordings of interviews with children. Deletes existing text providing that a video recording of an interview may be shared with other agencies under a written agreement.

 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2015.