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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the Texas Crime Stoppers Council. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 414.004, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 414.004. DIRECTOR. The [council and the] executive |
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director of the criminal justice division of the governor's office |
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shall designate a person to serve as director. [The director must
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be approved by the governor. The council shall define the
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director's authority and responsibilities.] |
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SECTION 2. Section 414.006, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 414.006. RULES. The council may adopt rules to carry |
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out its functions under this chapter. The rules adopted by the |
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council shall not conflict with rules [relating to grants] adopted |
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by the criminal justice division of the governor's office. The |
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council may not adopt a rule unless the executive director of the |
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criminal justice division of the governor's office determines that |
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the rule can be appropriately implemented. |
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SECTION 3. Section 414.008(a), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(a) Except as otherwise provided by this section, evidence |
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of a communication between an anonymous [a] person submitting a |
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report of a criminal act to the council or a crime stoppers |
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organization and the person who accepted the report on behalf of the |
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council or organization is not admissible in a court or an |
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administrative proceeding. |
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SECTION 4. Section 414.010, Government Code, is amended by |
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amending Subsections (a) and (d) and adding Subsection (a-1) to |
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read as follows: |
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(a) Except as provided by Subsection (d), a crime stoppers |
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organization certified by the council to receive money in the form |
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of payments from defendants placed on community supervision under |
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Chapter 42A, Code of Criminal Procedure, or money in the form of |
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repayments of rewards under Articles 37.073 and 42.152, Code of |
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Criminal Procedure, may use money received under this chapter in a |
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calendar year as follows: |
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(1) not more than 20 percent of the money may be used |
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[annually received] to pay costs incurred in administering the |
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organization during that same calendar year; and |
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(2) [shall use] the remainder of the money, including |
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any interest earned on the money, shall be used only to reward |
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persons who report information concerning criminal activity. |
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(a-1) Not later than January 31 of each year, a crime |
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stoppers organization that receives or expends money under this |
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section shall file a detailed report in the form and manner |
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prescribed by [with] the council. |
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(d) If the amount of funds received by a crime stoppers |
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organization during a calendar year under this section exceeds |
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[three times] the total amount of [funds that the organization uses
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to pay] rewards paid during [a fiscal year based on the average
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amount of funds used to pay rewards during each of] the preceding |
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three calendar [fiscal] years, the organization may deposit the |
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excess amount of funds in a separate interest-bearing account to be |
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used by the organization for eligible [law enforcement] purposes as |
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defined by the council [relating to crime stoppers or juvenile
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justice, including intervention, apprehension, and adjudication]. |
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An organization that deposits excess funds in an account as |
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provided by this subsection may use any interest earned on the funds |
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to pay costs incurred in administering the organization. |
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SECTION 5. Section 414.012, Government Code, is amended to |
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read as follows: |
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Sec. 414.012. STATEWIDE CRIME REPORTING SYSTEMS [TOLL-FREE
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TELEPHONE SERVICE]. The council shall establish a statewide [and
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operate a toll-free] telephone service and other appropriate |
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systems to allow information about criminal acts to be reported to |
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the council and shall make the telephone service and other |
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reporting systems accessible at all times to persons residing in |
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areas of the state not served by a crime stoppers organization [for
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reporting to the council information about criminal acts]. [The
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toll-free service must be available between the hours of 5 p.m. and
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8 a.m. Monday through Thursday and from 5 p.m. Friday until 8 a.m.
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Monday.] The council shall forward the information received to |
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appropriate law enforcement agencies or crime stoppers |
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organization. |
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SECTION 6. Article 102.013(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, |
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is amended to read as follows: |
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(a) The legislature shall appropriate funds from the crime |
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stoppers assistance account to the Criminal Justice Division of the |
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Governor's Office. The Criminal Justice Division may use 10 |
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percent of the funds for the operation of the statewide [toll-free] |
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telephone service or other appropriate systems for the reporting of |
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crime under Section 414.012, Government Code, and shall distribute |
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the remainder of the funds only to crime stoppers organizations. |
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The Criminal Justice Division may adopt a budget and rules to |
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implement the distribution of these funds. |
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SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |