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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to disclosure of certain information about expert |
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witnesses in a criminal case. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 39.14(b), Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(b) On [motion of] a party's request made not later than the |
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30th day before the date the trial begins, the party receiving the |
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request shall [party and on notice to the other parties, the court
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in which an action is pending may order one or more of the other
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parties to] disclose to the requesting party [making the motion] |
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the name and address of each person the disclosing [other] party may |
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use at trial to present evidence under Rules 702, 703, and 705, |
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Texas Rules of Evidence. The disclosure must be made in writing in |
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hard copy form or by electronic means [court shall specify in the
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order the time and manner in which the other party must make the
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disclosure to the moving party, but in specifying the time in which
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the other party shall make disclosure the court shall require the
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other party to make the disclosure] not later than the 20th day |
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before the date the trial begins. |
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SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies to the |
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prosecution of an offense committed on or after the effective date |
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of this Act. The prosecution of an offense committed before the |
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effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the |
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date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued in |
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effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an offense |
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is committed before the effective date of this Act if any element of |
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the offense occurs before the effective date. |
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SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |