BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 3570

By: Ramos

Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

It has been suggested that increasing continuing judicial training regarding domestic violence victims could improve certain judges' understanding of situations encountered by such victims. H.B. 3570 seeks to address this issue by requiring additional judicial instruction related to family violence, sexual assault, trafficking of persons, child abuse and neglect, and the dynamics and effects of being a victim of family violence.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in SECTION 1 of this bill.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 3570 amends the Government Code to require the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rules regarding judicial instruction related to family violence, sexual assault, trafficking of persons, and child abuse and neglect to require that at least one hour of continuing judicial training for applicable judicial officers be dedicated to the dynamics and effects of being a victim of family violence. The bill requires the rules to require each judge of a court having primary responsibility for or giving preference to family law or family violence matters to complete an additional two hours of training every two years dedicated to the dynamics and effects of being a victim of family violence.

H.B. 3570 requires the court of criminal appeals to adopt rules necessary to provide the training required under these provisions not later than December 1, 2019. The bill requires a judge, master, referee, or magistrate who is in office on the bill's effective date to complete such training not later than December 1, 2021.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2019.