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AN ACT
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relating to the prosecution of the criminal offense of continuous |
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violence against the family. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. This Act may be cited as Rachel's Law. |
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SECTION 2. Chapter 13, Code of Criminal Procedure, is |
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amended by adding Article 13.072 to read as follows: |
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Art. 13.072. CONTINUOUS VIOLENCE AGAINST THE FAMILY |
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COMMITTED IN MORE THAN ONE COUNTY. An offense under Section 25.11, |
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Penal Code, may be prosecuted in any county in which the defendant |
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engaged in the conduct constituting an offense under Section |
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22.01(a)(1), Penal Code, against a person described by Section |
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25.11(a), Penal Code. |
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SECTION 3. Section 25.11(b), Penal Code, is amended to read |
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as follows: |
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(b) If the jury is the trier of fact, members of the jury are |
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not required to agree unanimously on the specific conduct in which |
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the defendant engaged that constituted an offense under Section |
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22.01(a)(1) against the person or persons described by Subsection |
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(a), [or] the exact date when that conduct occurred, or the county |
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in which each instance of the conduct occurred. The jury must agree |
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unanimously that the defendant, during a period that is 12 months or |
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less in duration, two or more times engaged in conduct that |
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constituted an offense under Section 22.01(a)(1) against the person |
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or persons described by Subsection (a). |
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SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to |
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an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An |
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offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed |
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by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the |
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former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of |
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this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of |
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this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date. |
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SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |
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______________________________ |
______________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 1661 was passed by the House on April |
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17, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 143, Nays 0, 2 present, not |
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voting. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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I certify that H.B. No. 1661 was passed by the Senate on May |
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21, 2019, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. |
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______________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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APPROVED: _____________________ |
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Date |
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_____________________ |
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Governor |