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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to compensation to victims of stalking for relocation and |
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housing rental expenses. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Article 56.32(a)(9), Code of Criminal Procedure, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(9) "Pecuniary loss" means the amount of expense |
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reasonably and necessarily incurred as a result of personal injury |
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or death for: |
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(A) medical, hospital, nursing, or psychiatric |
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care or counseling, or physical therapy; |
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(B) actual loss of past earnings and anticipated |
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loss of future earnings and necessary travel expenses because of: |
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(i) a disability resulting from the |
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personal injury; |
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(ii) the receipt of medically indicated |
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services related to the disability resulting from the personal |
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injury; or |
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(iii) participation in or attendance at |
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investigative, prosecutorial, or judicial processes related to the |
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criminally injurious conduct and participation in or attendance at |
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any postconviction or postadjudication proceeding relating to |
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criminally injurious conduct; |
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(C) care of a child or dependent; |
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(D) funeral and burial expenses, including, for |
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an immediate family member or household member of the victim, the |
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necessary expenses of traveling to and attending the funeral; |
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(E) loss of support to a dependent, consistent |
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with Article 56.41(b)(5); |
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(F) reasonable and necessary costs of cleaning |
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the crime scene; |
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(G) reasonable replacement costs for clothing, |
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bedding, or property of the victim seized as evidence or rendered |
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unusable as a result of the criminal investigation; |
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(H) reasonable and necessary costs for |
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relocation and housing rental assistance payments [,] as provided |
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by Article 56.42(d)[, incurred by a victim of family violence or a
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victim of sexual assault who is assaulted in the victim's place of
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residence for relocation and housing rental assistance payments]; |
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(I) for an immediate family member or household |
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member of a deceased victim, bereavement leave of not more than 10 |
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work days; and |
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(J) reasonable and necessary costs of traveling |
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to and from a place of execution for the purpose of witnessing the |
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execution, including one night's lodging near the place at which |
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the execution is conducted. |
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SECTION 2. Article 56.42(d), Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended to read as follows: |
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(d) A victim who is a victim of stalking, family violence, |
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or [a victim of] trafficking of persons, or a victim of sexual |
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assault who is assaulted in the victim's place of residence, may |
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receive a onetime-only assistance payment in an amount not to |
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exceed: |
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(1) $2,000 to be used for relocation expenses, |
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including expenses for rental deposit, utility connections, |
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expenses relating to the moving of belongings, motor vehicle |
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mileage expenses, and for out-of-state moves, transportation, |
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lodging, and meals; and |
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(2) $1,800 to be used for housing rental expenses. |
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SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only |
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to a victim of a criminal offense committed or a violation that |
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occurs on or after the effective date of this Act. The victim of a |
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criminal offense committed or a violation that occurs 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 or the violation occurred, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of |
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this section, a criminal offense was committed or a violation |
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occurred before the effective date of this Act if any element of the |
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offense or violation occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |