| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to psychological counseling for certain grand jurors. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Article 56.04(f), Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
|
|
amended to read as follows: |
|
|
(f) The commissioners court may approve a program in which |
|
|
the crime victim liaison or victim assistance coordinator may offer |
|
|
not more than 10 hours of post-investigation or posttrial |
|
|
psychological counseling for a person who serves as a grand juror, |
|
|
alternate grand juror, juror, or [an] alternate juror in a grand |
|
|
jury investigation or criminal trial involving graphic evidence or |
|
|
testimony and who requests the post-investigation or posttrial |
|
|
psychological counseling not later than the 180th day after the |
|
|
date on which the grand jury or jury [in the trial] is |
|
|
dismissed. The crime victim liaison or victim assistance |
|
|
coordinator may provide the counseling using a provider that |
|
|
assists local criminal justice agencies in providing similar |
|
|
services to victims. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Section 61.003(a), Government Code, is amended |
|
|
to read as follows: |
|
|
(a) Each person who reports for jury service shall be |
|
|
personally provided a form letter that when signed by the person |
|
|
directs the county treasurer to donate all, or a specific amount |
|
|
designated by the person, of the person's daily reimbursement under |
|
|
this chapter to: |
|
|
(1) the compensation to victims of crime fund under |
|
|
Subchapter B, Chapter 56, Code of Criminal Procedure; |
|
|
(2) the child welfare, child protective services, or |
|
|
child services board of the county appointed under Section 264.005, |
|
|
Family Code, that serves abused and neglected children; |
|
|
(3) any program selected by the commissioners court |
|
|
that is operated by a public or private nonprofit organization and |
|
|
that provides shelter and services to victims of family violence; |
|
|
(4) any other program approved by the commissioners |
|
|
court of the county, including a program established under Article |
|
|
56.04(f), Code of Criminal Procedure, that offers psychological |
|
|
counseling [to jurors] in criminal cases involving graphic evidence |
|
|
or testimony; or |
|
|
(5) a veterans court program established by the |
|
|
commissioners court as provided by Chapter 124. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |