84R22549 YDB-D
 
  By: White of Tyler H.B. No. 2398
 
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
  relating to the establishment of judicial donation trust funds to
  assist needy children and families appearing before justice and
  municipal courts, dismissal of charges related to school
  attendance, and expunction of truancy records.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Subtitle B, Title 2, Government Code, is amended
  by adding Chapter 36 to read as follows:
  CHAPTER 36. JUDICIAL DONATION TRUST FUNDS
         Sec. 36.001.  ESTABLISHMENT OF TRUST FUNDS. (a) The
  governing body of a municipality or the commissioners court of a
  county may establish a judicial donation trust fund as a separate
  account held outside the municipal or county treasury to be used in
  accordance with this chapter.
         (b)  The governing body of a municipality or the
  commissioners court of a county may accept a gift, grant, donation,
  or other consideration from a public or private source that is
  designated for the judicial donation trust fund.
         (c)  Money received under Subsection (b) shall be deposited
  in the judicial donation trust fund and may only be disbursed in
  accordance with this chapter.
         (d)  Interest and income from the assets of the judicial
  donation trust fund shall be credited to and deposited in the trust
  fund.
         Sec. 36.002.  PROCEDURES AND ELIGIBILITY. The governing
  body of a municipality or the commissioners court of a county shall:
               (1)  adopt the procedures necessary to receive and
  disburse money from the judicial donation trust fund under this
  chapter; and
               (2)  establish eligibility requirements for
  disbursement of money under this chapter to assist needy children
  or families who appear before a justice or municipal court for a
  criminal offense, as applicable, by providing money for resources
  and services that eliminate barriers to school attendance or that
  seek to prevent criminal behavior.
         Sec. 36.003.  USE OF FUNDS IN ACCOUNT. (a)  The judge of a
  justice or municipal court, in accordance with Section 36.002, may
  award money from a judicial donation trust fund established under
  Section 36.001 to eligible children or families who appear before
  the court for a truancy or curfew violation or in another
  misdemeanor offense proceeding before the court.
         (b)  A judge of a justice or municipal court may order the
  municipal or county treasurer to issue payment from the judicial
  donation trust fund for money awarded under this section.
         SECTION 2.  Subchapter B, Chapter 45, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, is amended by adding Article 45.0531 to read as follows:
         Art. 45.0531.  DISMISSAL OF PARENT CONTRIBUTING TO
  NONATTENDANCE OR FAILURE TO ATTEND SCHOOL CHARGE. Notwithstanding
  any other law, a county, justice, or municipal court, at the court's
  discretion, may dismiss a charge against a defendant alleging the
  defendant committed an offense under Section 25.093 or 25.094,
  Education Code, if the court finds that a dismissal would be in the
  interest of justice because:
               (1)  there is a low likelihood of recidivism by the
  defendant; or
               (2)  sufficient justification exists for the failure to
  attend school.
         SECTION 3.  Subchapter B, Chapter 45, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, is amended by adding Article 45.0541 to read as follows:
         Art. 45.0541.  AUTOMATIC EXPUNCTION OF TRUANCY RECORDS. (a)  
  In this article, "truancy offense" means an offense committed under
  Section 25.094, Education Code.
         (b)  An individual who has been convicted of a truancy
  offense or has had a complaint for a truancy offense dismissed is
  entitled to have the conviction or complaint and records relating
  to the conviction or complaint automatically expunged.
         (c)  The court in which the individual was convicted or a
  complaint for a truancy offense was filed shall order the
  conviction, complaints, verdicts, sentences, and other documents
  relating to the offense, including any documents in the possession
  of a school district or law enforcement agency, to be expunged from
  the individual's record. After entry of the order, the individual
  is released from all disabilities resulting from the conviction or
  complaint, and the conviction or complaint may not be shown or made
  known for any purpose. The court shall inform the individual of the
  expunction.
         SECTION 4.  Section 54.03, Family Code, is amended by adding
  Subsection (g-1) to read as follows:
         (g-1)  If the child is alleged to have engaged in conduct
  indicating a need for supervision under Section 51.03(b)(2), the
  court, at the court's discretion, may dismiss the case with
  prejudice if the court finds that a dismissal would be in the
  interest of justice because:
               (1)  there is a low likelihood of recidivism by the
  defendant; or
               (2)  sufficient justification exists for the failure to
  attend school.
         SECTION 5.  Section 81.032, Local Government Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         Sec. 81.032.  ACCEPTANCE OF DONATIONS AND BEQUESTS. The
  commissioners court may accept a gift, grant, donation, bequest, or
  devise of money or other property on behalf of the county, including
  a donation under Chapter 36, Government Code, for the purpose of
  performing a function conferred by law on the county or a county
  officer.
         SECTION 6.  (a)  Article 45.0531, Code of Criminal
  Procedure, as added by this Act, applies only to an offense
  committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An offense
  committed before the effective date of this Act is governed by the
  law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the former
  law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this
  section, an offense was committed before the effective date of this
  Act if any element of the offense was committed before that date.
         (b)  Section 54.03(g-1), Family Code, as added by this Act,
  applies only to conduct that occurs on or after the effective date
  of this Act. Conduct that occurs before the effective date of this
  Act is governed by the law in effect at the time the conduct
  occurred, and the former law is continued in effect for that
  purpose. For the purposes of this section, conduct occurs before
  the effective date of this Act if any element of the conduct
  occurred before that date.
         SECTION 7.  Article 45.0541, Code of Criminal Procedure, as
  added by this Act, applies to the expunction or destruction of a
  truancy record or file existing on or after the effective date of
  this Act regardless of when the offense or conduct that is the
  subject of the record or file was committed.
         SECTION 8.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2015.