| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to establishing and funding a grant program for testing |
|
|
evidence collected in relation to sexual assaults or other sex |
|
|
offenses; authorizing voluntary contributions. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 502, Transportation Code, |
|
|
is amended by adding Section 502.414 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 502.414. VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTION FOR EVIDENCE TESTING |
|
|
GRANT PROGRAM. (a) When a person registers or renews the |
|
|
registration of a motor vehicle under this chapter, the person may |
|
|
contribute any amount to the evidence testing grant program |
|
|
established under Section 772.00715, Government Code. |
|
|
(b) The department shall provide, in a conspicuous manner, |
|
|
an opportunity to contribute to the evidence testing grant program |
|
|
in any registration renewal system used by the department. |
|
|
(c) If a person makes a contribution under this section and |
|
|
does not pay the full amount of a registration fee, the county |
|
|
assessor-collector may credit all or a portion of the contribution |
|
|
to the person's registration fee. |
|
|
(d) The county assessor-collector shall send any |
|
|
contribution made under this section to the comptroller for deposit |
|
|
to the credit of the evidence testing account established under |
|
|
Section 772.00716, Government Code, at least once every three |
|
|
months. Before sending the money to the comptroller, the |
|
|
department may deduct money equal to the amount of reasonable |
|
|
expenses for administering this section. |
|
|
SECTION 2. Subchapter A, Chapter 772, Government Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Sections 772.00715 and 772.00716 to read as |
|
|
follows: |
|
|
Sec. 772.00715. EVIDENCE TESTING GRANT PROGRAM. (a) In |
|
|
this section: |
|
|
(1) "Accredited crime laboratory" has the meaning |
|
|
assigned by Section 420.003. |
|
|
(2) "Criminal justice division" means the criminal |
|
|
justice division established under Section 772.006. |
|
|
(3) "Grant program" means the evidence testing grant |
|
|
program established under this section. |
|
|
(4) "Law enforcement agency" means: |
|
|
(A) the police department of a municipality; |
|
|
(B) the sheriff's office of a county; or |
|
|
(C) a constable's office of a county. |
|
|
(b) The criminal justice division shall establish and |
|
|
administer a grant program and shall disburse funds to assist law |
|
|
enforcement agencies or counties in testing evidence collected in |
|
|
relation to a sexual assault or other sex offense. |
|
|
(c) Grant funds may be used only for the testing by an |
|
|
accredited crime laboratory of evidence that was collected in |
|
|
relation to a sexual assault or other sex offense. |
|
|
(d) The criminal justice division: |
|
|
(1) may establish additional eligibility criteria for |
|
|
grant applicants; and |
|
|
(2) shall establish: |
|
|
(A) grant application procedures; |
|
|
(B) guidelines relating to grant amounts; and |
|
|
(C) criteria for evaluating grant applications. |
|
|
(e) The criminal justice division shall include in the |
|
|
biennial report required by Section 772.006(a)(9) detailed |
|
|
reporting of the results and performance of the grant program. |
|
|
(f) The criminal justice division may use any revenue |
|
|
available to the division to fund the grant program. |
|
|
Sec. 772.00716. EVIDENCE TESTING ACCOUNT. (a) The |
|
|
evidence testing account is created as a dedicated account in the |
|
|
general revenue fund of the state treasury. |
|
|
(b) Money in the account may be appropriated only to the |
|
|
criminal justice division established under Section 772.006 for |
|
|
purposes of the evidence testing grant program established under |
|
|
Section 772.00715. |
|
|
(c) Funds distributed under Section 772.00715 are subject |
|
|
to audit by the comptroller. |
|
|
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2017. |